Plan a first campus buddy meeting around a practical question

Use the scheme's agreed contact route

Confirm the match through the programme's official process and use its recommended communication method. Introduce yourself briefly and suggest a first conversation about one practical topic, such as finding a campus service or understanding how to join an activity. Avoid sending a large amount of personal information before you know what the scheme needs or how the contact will work. If a message or match detail seems inconsistent with the programme, ask its staff to check. The purpose of the first contact is to arrange a manageable meeting within an established scheme, not to create an undefined obligation to be available at all times.

Choose a clear place and duration

Agree a publicly accessible campus location or another format allowed by the scheme. Give the exact meeting point and confirm how to recognise each other without sharing unnecessary identifying details. Choose a duration that fits both schedules and explain any departure time. If access or communication arrangements matter, discuss the practical need in advance or ask the programme team for help. A brief visit to a familiar campus facility can give the meeting a useful focus. Do not assume that either person can provide transport, enter a controlled room or make a booking on the other's behalf.

Begin with the question you want to explore

At the meeting, explain what would be useful today and invite the buddy to share what they can help with. A new student might ask how to locate an activities desk or what happens at a society taster. The buddy can describe their experience while distinguishing it from current official information. Check details such as opening hours or joining arrangements through the university when needed. You do not have to turn the conversation into a complete account of your background. An existing notebook page can hold a few questions or directions, but the meeting works through a clear topic and attentive conversation rather than prepared materials.

Agree expectations and role boundaries

Discuss how often contact might be useful, which channel the scheme allows and how quickly either person can reasonably respond. Make it easy to say that a proposed time does not work. Follow the programme's guidance about confidentiality, concerns and referring questions to staff. A buddy can offer informal support without becoming an adviser on medical, legal or other specialist matters. If a question is outside the role, identify the appropriate university service together. Clear boundaries help the relationship remain dependable and prevent either person feeling responsible for solving every difficulty that arises during the transition to university.

End with one agreed next step

Before finishing, decide whether another meeting is wanted and what it would be for. You might agree to attend an open campus activity or check a service's current information separately. Confirm who will make the next contact and avoid leaving an ambiguous promise to catch up sometime. If the match or format is not working, use the programme team's process to discuss it rather than assuming you must continue unchanged. Keep the useful practical information and handle any personal details according to the scheme. A good first meeting leaves both people understanding the next step and the limits of the support they are offering or receiving.

Your next steps

• Confirm the match and communication route through the scheme.
• Agree a precise meeting point and manageable duration.
• Choose one practical question for the first conversation.
• Set contact expectations and use staff support for questions beyond the role.

Keep planning

• Connect to eduroam before your first lecture
• Plan a daytime society social around a clear activity
• Organise a campus donation collection around what the charity accepts
• Carry your laptop to campus through rain