The Buddy Programme kicked off again this semester, aiming to help new incoming international students settle into life here at UL, life in Limerick and Ireland in general. The UL Global Buddy Programme offers international students a unique opportunity to connect with domestic students and form social connections. The aim of this programme is to utilise current students lived experience to benefit new international students and create opportunities for friendships and assimilation into local culture making transitions into a new culture smoother.
This semester, we had 622 international students availing of the programme. These students were matched with our UL Volunteers, based off each other’s interests/courses and languages. Most UL volunteers are current UL Students studying an undergraduate or postgraduate degree while some of these volunteers are also international students who have benefited from the Buddy Programme during their first semester at UL and so are now returning the favour to new students. Others are undergraduate students in UL who have returned from Erasmus/ Exchange and are eager to help other international students who are now going on their study abroad experience. In total we have 170 volunteers signed up to the programme. In small groups of 3 to 4 people, international students can get in touch with our UL students prior to their arrival in Ireland so that once they are on campus, they already know at least one person.
The Buddy Programme events are a great opportunity for volunteers to meet their buddies, to get to know one another and to offer them a helping hand in a casual and fun setting.
Our first Buddy Programme event is being held within the first week of the semester; UL volunteers met with their buddies virtually for a coffee and a chat to get to know each other. Whether it is a movie night in UL’s very own concert hall, a Coffee Morning with treats in Stables or tickets to the King John’s Castle, the Buddy groups can attend these events at no cost and enjoy spending time together within their pods of 3/4. Each semester, up to 1500 international students join UL and our aim is to provide them with the best opportunity to get to know life in UL and in Limerick. Being on the Buddy Programme can help international students ease into life here more easily and gives our domestic students the chance to make international connections.
Both volunteers and buddies have been very enthusiastic about the programme this semester and we hope they will be able to build solid friendships just as they did in all previous semesters of the Buddy Programme:
“The UL Buddy Programme has helped me to connect with international students coming from India who are doing their PhD’s. Helping them to make their student studies transition easier was great and being of service to them helped me to be a better student!”
~ Mardonio, past volunteer.
