Frequently Asked Questions (for current students)
Introduction:
Global BUddies aims to increase integration between UK students and international
students on campus, helping you to build a network of new friends from all over the world
and develop important skills that your future employers will really value. For new students
(both UK and international) it will provide valuable support settling in to life at BU thanks to
advice about what to expect from life in the UK.
What are the benefits of being a Global BUddy?
As a Global BUddy, you will get to:
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Have fun showing new students the best things to do and places to visit locally
You have a great knowledge of the local area. Imagine how rewarding it will be to help new
students discover the best places to visit, eat, shop, relax… Maybe you know of some
international cafés or supermarkets where you can try some different foods from around the
world... Maybe you’re involved in a club or society and you could invite your group to join you at
a society event… It’s up to you and it will be as good as you make it.
Enjoy sharing your home culture with students of other nationalities
Whether you’re British and you want to introduce new international students to the delights of a
Sunday Roast or you’re Chinese and you want to invite your buddy group to join you to
celebrate mid-autumn Festival, there are so many ways that you can create a fascinating and
unique social experience for you and your group. Everyone taking part in Global BUddies has an
interest in learning about other cultures, so there’s no end to the possibilities…
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Develop skills and knowledge that future employers will value
Prospective employers are looking for applicants who have more than just qualifications. Extracurricular activities, like Global BUddies can be used as evidence of adaptable skills in your
chosen career path. By being a Global BUddy you’ll develop skills like cross-cultural
communication, interpersonal skills, cultural awareness, leadership, events organisation etc.
These are important skills for a huge range of future careers, whether in the UK or abroad.
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Start building a network of contacts abroad which could be useful in future
Thinking of an international career? Travelling the world? An amazing summer holiday? It’s
always useful to have friends abroad and you never know when those contacts might be useful.
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Practise your language skills
If you speak a foreign language (or if English is your second language) becoming a Global
BUddy will introduce you to students who are native speakers and can help you with
conversation practice in exchange for your help with their language skills. This isn’t the main aim
of Global BUddies, but it’s definitely an added opportunity!

By taking part in “Global BUddies” you can gain credits towards the Student
Development Award (SDA) or the Postgraduate Development Award (PDA).
How will Global BUddies work?
1. You register to become a Global BUddy
2. You attend the training session in May
3. During June, July and August, you keep in contact with us and other Global BUddies via
the facebook group
4. At the end of August, new students apply to take part in Global BUddies
5. On Friday 4th September we will email you a list of your buddy group with their email
addresses and then you will contact them and introduce yourself
6. You and your BUddy group will keep in contact by email and facebook for the first two
weeks of September. During that time you can answer any questions they have and
start to plan things to do with them when they arrive in Bournemouth
(If you want to, you can volunteer to help with our airport transfer service and meet
some of the international students from your BUddy group at the airport on 19/20
September).
7. During induction week (21-25 September) you will meet your BUddy group on campus
and attend the BUddy social event together
8. You will then keep in contact with them regularly, arrange to meet up with them and do
fun stuff together as a group
9. In December we will organise another social event to celebrate the end of the first term.
This is officially the end of Global BUddies, but of course, you can continue to keep in
touch with your group after that if you want to.
10. We will ask you to complete an evaluation questionnaire to help us understand what you
have gained from taking part and how we could improve things for next year.
Will I need to be trained to become a Global BUddy?
Yes. If you would like to volunteer, you must attend the Global BUddies training and the
Global Buddies Introductory Event.
We will invite you to join a 2-hour training session before the end of the summer term* and
for a 1-hour refresher during induction week in September. And of course, you're welcome
to come and talk to us if you have questions, or if there's anything about the scheme that
you want to discuss.
(* if you are currently doing a study exchange or work placement abroad which means you
are not able to attend the training in the summer term, that is fine. We will email you the
training materials and catch up with you when you come back in September).
Who will I be buddied with?
Wherever possible, you will be matched with new students who share a similar profile and
interests to you - so hopefully you will have some things in common.
The Global BUddies scheme is based around cultural exchange and befriending - it is not
an academic mentoring programme. Therefore it is likely that your BUddy group will be from
a variety of Faculties and courses. PAL and grow@BU services are available at BU for
academic help and support. Before the scheme starts we will provide you with information
about sources of support at BU, so that you can refer your students to appropriate
assistance if necessary.
We will try though to match students that are studying at the same level (UG/PG)
Can I be buddied with a student from a particular country?
We know that some students want to meet a student from a particular country, perhaps to
practise a certain language for example. If you have expressed an interest in buddying a
student from a certain country then we will try to take account of this during the matching
process, however we can't guarantee that we will be able to arrange this. It depends to a
great extent on the nationalities of those students who have registered for the scheme, and
so your BUddies may not be from the country that you've requested - you'll need to be fairly
flexible!
Please also note that we will not usually match you with students of the same nationality
because one of the aims of the Global BUddies scheme is to encourage intercultural
exchange.
How much time will being a Global BUddy involve?
The scheme only runs until the end of the autumn term (until Christmas), but you're
welcome to stay in touch beyond this, if you both want to.
BU will organize two social events at the beginning and end of term, and then it is up to the
BUddies to contact their students to arrange meetings or events. Outside of these events it
is important to keep regularly in contact with your BUddy group. This can be through email,
the Facebook group and by meeting up in person to chat or to do an activity.
If you want to organise your own socials outside these events then please feel free to do so.
If you need any help or ideas we can discuss this with you. If you would like to make these
socials available to a larger group you could join together with another BUddy group and/or
advertise them through the Global BUddies Facebook Group.
How many new students will be in my Global BUddy group?
You will normally have about 5 new students in your group. They may all not be very
actively engaged with the activities and some may drop out, but we expect the starting
number to be five.
What if I don't get on with any of my group?
The fact that you and your group have all applied to join Global BUddies suggests that
you're all open to new experiences and making new friends. In our experience, most
BUddies get on well and there aren't too many problems. However we're here to support
you and if you have any questions or problems, just let us know - we'll be happy to try to
help and we can move students to a different group if absolutely necessary.
What should I do if one of the students has a problem or question that I can't help
with?
You may not be able to deal with every questions or problem and we do not expect you to.
The training event will include information to help you understand how to refer students to
relevant support services at BU if you need to. Feel free to contact us if you need to - we're
here to support you.
Will I be able to claim back expenses?
Sorry, we are not able to pay any expenses. Hopefully you won't incur much expense; there
are plenty of free activities in Bournemouth - we'll give you some ideas during the training
session.
Other questions?
If so, please contact us at isop@bournemouth.ac.uk
Global BUddies Scheme Guidelines
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Be reliable – If you have arranged to meet up with your students, please turn up and be
on time. If you cannot make it, please let them know.
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Always meet in a public place.
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Use your BU email or the Facebook Group to keep in contact. Only swap home address
and mobile numbers if you feel comfortable.
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Remember that you are not supposed to be the new students’ counsellor or academic
adviser. We will provide you with information about sources of support at BU, so that
you can refer your students to appropriate assistance if necessary to make sure that
they get the best advice possible.
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If you do not hear from your students or are experiencing problems please inform the
scheme co-ordinator: isop@bournemouth.ac.uk.
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If for any reason you decide not to take part in the scheme then please let the scheme
co-ordinator know immediately: isop@bournemouth.ac.uk.
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And finally: enjoy being a Global BUddy! Know that your efforts are having a positive
impact on your new students’ experience at BU.