The Buddy Program, which commenced last year, is a new collaborative project by Student Services and Student Welfare.
This program is offered to newly enrolled Trinity students (Junior Buddies), who are matched with Trinity alumni (Senior Buddies) who are currently studying in a university.
The final session on Saturday 19 March saw the successful completion of the program by 32 participants, made up of 18 Junior buddies and 14 Senior buddies.
All Junior buddies were awarded a certificate of participation, while Senior buddies received a certificate of recognition.
Trinity alumni are able to share their valuable experiences at Trinity and their current university with their Juniors. Meetings between Seniors and Juniors were casual and conducted over lunch in a restaurant, a cafe or at the Victoria Market.
On reflection, one Junior buddy said that ‘overall, it is a great experience for me, especially in understanding Melbourne better and getting used to living away from home. My buddy helps me a lot by giving me advice and assuring me when I expressed my fears and concerns about being an international student.’
The Buddy Program 2015 was held from 24 September 2015 until 19 March 2016.
The next Buddy Program is proposed to start in Semester 2, and this time 20 extra spaces have been allocated to accommodate more students.