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 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.'