Local students volunteering as Buddy

Be in touch with your buddy at least three times:

1.) Via mail, right after receiving the contact details of your buddy. Introduce yourself and answer their first questions

2.) Try to arrange a meet up in person after your buddy has arrived in Germany (maybe you could even pick them up from the airport or train station?)

3.) Check up on your buddy again latest 4 weeks after their arrival

•    Answer general questions about life in Germany/ Potsdam

•    Show them their way around campus : Locations, room system, libraries, cafeterias, copying, printing, internet, scanners etc.

•    Introduce them to PULS (exchange students will also receive a tutorial during Welcome Week), course enrollment, exam registration

•   Guide them to the right institutions  (e.g. International Office, supervising tutors etc.) when facing a problem

•   Indicate important events or deadlines (e.g.. re-registration or student elections for degree-seeking students)

•   Try integrating them (e.g. having lunch together, introduce them to your friends)

•   Check up on them regularly

•    Pick them up from the airport/ train station and accompany them to their accomodation

•   Accompany them to administrative offices (e.g. registration office, health insurance etc.): Your task will mainly be to translate because many appointments or forms will be in German. You are not responsible for answering legal questions and you can always contact the Buddy program if you feel insecure. If you don' t think your German is good enough, you can ask a friend to accompany your Buddy or ask around on the Buddy Discord channel.

•    Tips for everyday life (public transport, groceries, phone contracts, opening up a bank account, internet, culture, parties)

•    Further organization of studies: paying the semester fee, charge and (for degree seeking students) reactivate their chip card (student ID/ ticket)

In general, you and your buddy can decide yourselves on the intensity of your contact. However, please make sure that your buddy feels comfortable reaching out to you at any time.

The deadline for the registration is either in the middle of january (for the summer semester) or the middle of July (for the winter semester). The coordination will then be done after the beginning of February respectively beginning of August. Then, you and your buddy will receive each other's contact details and information regarding the course of the semester/ program. Now you're all set!

Degree-seeking students
receive important information regarding their stay at Potsdam University from the International Office via email

Exchange students
will receive their personalised briefing pack during the welcome week (in the beginning of April or October). It usually contains the following documents:  

• Confirmation of enrollment
• PUCK
• ZIM-account login details
• TAN-list for PULS
• Information leaflets

Your participation in the Buddy Program can be counted as an extracurricular internship in a teacher's degree (bachelor) if you combine it with the mentoring of children or adolescents at an event at UP (e.g. "Kinderuniversität", "Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften").

For more information please contact Ms. Viola Grellmann, coordinator for internships in teacher's degrees (Tel.: 0331/977-2561, E-Mail: vgrellm@uni-potsdam.de)

• Talk to your buddy about what you both expect from the buddy assistance - in which measure you are willing to spend time together and where help is needed/ can be offered. This way you can avoid disappointments.
• Discuss in the beginning how often you want to meet up and what kind of communication is best for you.
• In case you cannot stick to an appointment, remember to cancel on time!
• Please remember: If your assistance grows to be a friendship is dependant of many factors. Please don't be less helpful due to a lack of similarities.
• In case you don't want to participate anymore, please tell your buddy and us as soon as possible. This way we can try to find someone new for your buddy.

If the problems or questions of your buddy exceed your competence, please refer them to the institutions resposible:

• Application, admission, administration, visa: exchange students / degree-seeking students
• Topics regarding Erasmus: Erasmus coordinators
• Topics regarding the buddy's subject: departmental advising, tutoring for international students
• Improving german language skills: Zessko
• student accomodation: Studentenwerk Potsdam,  tutors at the student accomodations

Other useful links:

• Location Maps of the University of Potsdam
• cultural events by the Erasmus Student Network