Buddy Programme
You are new at the University of Bayreuth? You have a lot of questions about life and studying? The Buddy Program brings together new and experienced students of the University so that the first weeks at your new place of residence and the start of your studies are successful. In this way, intercultural contacts and new friendships are formed right at the beginning of your studies.
However, further friendships can also be made in an international context during the course of studies, for example when attending events organized by the Erasmus Student Network Bayreuth (ESN Bayreuth).
International Students
All new international students can register for the Buddy Program to receive a mentor at the University of Bayreuth. You will receive an email with more information on the registration before the start of the semester. If you miss the initial registration, but still want to take part (only during your first semester), please send an email to buddy@uni-bayreuth.de.
UBT Students
All students at the University of Bayreuth who are interested in supporting new international students at UBT and are interested in intercultural exchange are welcome to register as a mentor for the Buddy Program. We recommend participation especially for students who are planning a stay abroad. Mentors are also welcome to support several buddies.
UBT students can register directly on the matching platform (it is mandatory to use the UBT email address to register!). In case of difficulties with the registration, it is also possible to register here to receive an invitation.
FAQs
- Who is my mentor?Hide
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Mentors are students of the University of Bayreuth who have lived in Bayreuth/Kulmbach for some time. All mentors are volunteers in our Buddy Programme and try to support you as best as possible. Depending on the number of registrations, it is possible that one mentor will support several buddies.
- What is my mentor responsible for?Hide
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Your mentor can help you with your first general questions and give you valuable tips about studying and living in Bayreuth/Kulmbach. If your questions cannot be answered, you can always contact the Welcome Services.
- Who is my buddy?Hide
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All buddies are international exchange, bachelor or master students who start their studies at the University of Bayreuth. The matching takes into account different categories and ideally your buddy is from the country where you are planning/have done a semester abroad or studies the same degree program as you.
- What can I expect as a mentor?Hide
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You will have the opportunity to share your experiences as a student of the University of Bayreuth, to apply your multilingualism, to make new contacts and to prepare yourself for a (possible) stay abroad. Of course, we cannot estimate the extent to which your buddy will need support, but if you have any questions, you can always contact the Welcome Services.
We would like to point out that the Buddy Program is not a language tandem program! It is primarily intended to help new international students - regardless of nationality and language - settle in at the University of Bayreuth. However, the Language Centre of the University of Bayreuth also offers a language tandem program.
- How can I support my Buddy?Hide
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The goal of the Buddy Program is to help your buddy settle into life in Bayreuth/Kulmbach and to introduce him or her to student life. There is no fixed structure.
Below you will find some examples of how you can support your buddy:
- Contact by email before the beginning of the semester
- Support with contacting the landlord to pick up the key
- Pick up at the train station (Bayreuth/Kulmbach) and take to the accommodation
- Contact person for administrative and university questions (e.g. registration at the city hall, enrolment at the university,...)
- Involvement in your own leisure activities
- Networking with fellow students
- My buddy / mentor is not answering, what can I do now?Hide
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Unfortunately, sometimes emails end up in the spam folder or are not delivered for other reasons. If you do not receive a response to your first email for several days, please contact buddy@uni-bayreuth.de. We can reach out via another email address and find the problem or in case of doubt assign a new person.
- When can I register for the Buddy Program?Hide
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Registration is possible in the summer semester starting in February and in the winter semester starting in August. Up-to-date information is available on our Instagram page.
- When does the matching for the Buddy Program take place?Hide
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Matching is scheduled for the summer semester starting in early March and for the winter semester starting in early September. There will be several matching rounds each semester. The last matching takes place shortly after the start of lectures.
- On the matching platform of the University of Bayreuth there are different matchings, which one do I have to fill out?Hide
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In order to participate in the Buddy Programme, you only need to fill out the matching with the title "Buddy Program for International Students" and the respective semester. The platform is also used for other programs (Language Tandem and Alumni Job Mentoring). Please make sure to register for the correct program, otherwise you won’t be considered for the buddy matching.
- Why do I have to provide so much information on the platform?Hide
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Matching takes place based on an allocation of points in various categories. The required information helps to match buddies and mentors in the best way possible.
- I have a technical problem with the matching platform, what can I do?Hide
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Please send an email to buddy@uni-bayreuth.de.
More Information and Contact
If you have any questions, our Buddy Programme team is always available at the following email address:
buddy@uni-bayreuth.de