A Campus Buddy is paired with a new student with similar interests/hobbies and provides them with up to five hours support during Welcome and then up to one hour per week for the rest of Semester One. Students have the option to continue receiving occasional support during Semester Two if needed.

The Campus Buddy Scheme covers both the First and Second Semester of University.

Semester One: Building Connections

Semester One focuses on fostering relationships and helping students settle into university life. This includes:

• One-to-one meetings with their peer mentor
• Social activities, such as attending societies together, finding their lecture rooms etc
• Campus Walk for all participants in the scheme, offering opportunities to meet others with peer mentors and form new friendships
• Group Activities designed to connect students across the program and help them expand their network in a fun, inclusive environment

The aim is to ensure students feel welcomed, supported, and confident in navigating both the academic and social aspects of university life.

Semester Two: Strengthening Support

Semester Two shifts focus to sustaining those connections while introducing additional resources to address ongoing challenges. It recognises that students who continue to engage may be facing anxiety, low mood, or a sense of disconnection. Activities may include:

• Continued one-to-one mentor meetings to provide support and encouragement
• Journaling workshops
• An Anxiety Aid course
• Gardening session

This semester emphasises extending the support network by introducing students to Student support run services and activities. Aiming to gently encourage students into some confidence building and helping students to feel empowered to access the resources they need to thrive.

Students who have had a Campus Buddy have said:

'He [the disability adviser] told me about the campus buddy programme…and that was probably the most helpful thing...[as] the main thing I was worried about was not being able to find where I was going, so…when we got the timetable through, and I was like: “Oh my God! What does any of this mean? Where am I going? Help!!” So, the girl that was assigned to me…the first thing we did was we went through my timetable, took out all the room numbers, and we went to every single room that I had on my [timetable]. And I was like: “Oh my God, if I didn't have that… I'd probably not leave my room.'

'I felt like I always had someone who could answer questions that I would otherwise be too scared to ask, like understanding how the laundry system worked and using the library. She also helped me feel really supported, and not at all isolated.'

'I found that talking to my campus buddy was very effective in relieving my anxiety. It enabled me to feel more confident about university life.'

'... knowing that the support is there if I want to go to an event, but I don’t want to go alone.'

'I found having a campus buddy very helpful because I felt much more prepared for what was to come in the first year. My buddy was very friendly and I think the scheme will be particularly helpful for students with anxiety and intolerance for change.'

Campus Buddies are current University of Bath undergraduate and postgraduate students and are paired with a student to support them during Semester 1. Support also runs during Semester 2, this is an optional addition for Campus Buddy applicants.

You will receive full training from the Disability Service and Mental Health Team, including Autism and Social Anxiety Awareness.

You must be able to commit to completing the training (two 2-hour sessions) and be available for up to five hours during Welcome Week and for one hour per week after that during the rest of Semester One 2025/26.

Although we cannot guarantee that there will be a student available to pair you with, we hope that you will find the training interesting and helpful to you in your future career.

The Disability Service will provide supervision throughout the scheme.

Previous Campus Buddies have said they’ve found the scheme:

'Rewarding, Satisfying, Challenging, Fun'

'I feel like I’ve been able to make a difference in someone else’s university experience.'

'It’s been good helping someone feel less worried about beginning university life.'

'I could see the difference my support made.'

Applications to be a Campus Buddy in 2025-26 close at 9am on 3rd March 2025. The job description and application form are available here. If you have any problems accessing this or have any questions, please email us at disability-supportworkers@bath.ac.uk.