As you’ve probably heard, Buddy Programme offers international students informational (andother) help during their first days of stay in Germany. Buddies are ordinary students (like you and me) of the FAU who are ready to help you with any problem on a voluntarybasis. So they are a new type of superheroes I would say – they save your world and ask for nothing in return 
Of course, this programme in most cases is oriented at the first days or weeks of your stay in Erlangen or Nuremberg. Later, everything will depend on both of you – whether you maintain your contact or not.
In October 2015 I also participated in this programme and even shared my first experiences and thoughts about it. Now already 5 months have passed and I can draw some deeper conclusions.
Has this programme changed anything in my life?
Yes. Very often the first impression about a country is crucial for whether it will be comfortable for you there. So my first impression was extremely positive and still remains among my personal reasons “why I like Germany”. This programme also helped me to become more confident and open-minded. All-in-all people of any culture or background are in the first place just people. So it shouldn’t be scary to start a conversation in a foreign land or simply with a total stranger; nor should any prejudices about countries influence you. Also, moving to another city, as it turned out, can be less stressful than expected, especially if you already have someone to talk to there. That’s why I hope that this programme won’t be closed and more students will take part in it (including myself as a German Buddy).
Do we still get in touch with our Buddy?
Yes. Perhaps one of the dearest moments was when I received a postcard from her from Prague. It was absolutely unexpected as I didn’t even know she was going there. So one day I opened my post box and found a cute card with a very warmhearted text and this was better than any gift. Such old-school hand-written cards mean much more than hundreds of text messages, it’s a pity that they are rarely found nowadays.
Olha’s german buddy Maria. Photo: private
But enough about me and my thoughts. I would like to introduce my life-saver and my Buddy, Maria Busch, a student and almost a graduate of the B.Sc. programme “Speech and language therapy” at the Medical faculty.
How did you find out about the Buddy programme and why did you decide to join it?
Maria: I learned about the Buddyprogramme from my older brother who studied in a different town in Germany and had participated in the programme many times. Although I didn’t have an opportunity to study abroad during my studies at FAU I experienced what it is like to be a stranger in a new town far away from your home during different students’ exchanges. There I had wonderful experiences of people helping me. I was overwhelmed how warmly people were welcoming me in their town. That’s why I also wanted to create such an experience for people new in Erlangen so I decided to look for the Buddyprogramme here, too. I like to meet people from different countries and to learn something about different cultures so I profit a lot as well from the programme.
This semester was your second „try“ as a buddy. Was it different from the first experience? Do you both still stay in touch ?
Maria: The experiences were different and can’t be compared because both Buddies have such different personalities, have different attitudes and goals about their time abroad. They needed different kind of information before they arrived and were differently organized, that’s why it’s hard to compare. Both times as a Buddy were very good experiences and I’m still in contact with my buddies.
Is it difficult to be a buddy?
Maria: I don’t think it’s difficult to be a Buddy. You just share the experiences you made in your town, think of useful pieces of advice and try to help your buddy having a good start.. If you can’t help with some aspects it’s totally fine. Moreover, in this process you even sometimes learn new things about your town you didn’t know before. It’s all up to you and your buddy how much „support“ you want to offer and how much the buddy needs.
What would you recommend anyone willing to become a buddy?
Maria: I find this question hard to answer because it depends a lot on you and your Buddy’s personality. I tried to put myself in my Buddy’s place and thought about things I would want to hear and be offered from my Buddy in a country abroad. Just be open to new experiences, both good or challenging, and prepare yourself for meeting interesting people from all over the world.
Do you believe in the „life after the project“?
Maria: Yes, I do. First of all I believe that you learn a lot from this programme. Not only about different countries and cultures but also about problems foreigners face and how our society welcomes people from abroad. If you get along well with your buddy I believe that of course you can become friends. I know that true friendship knows no distance, even if your Buddy doesn’t live in your town any more. And you never know, maybe you’ll want to visit your Buddy’s country one day and already have a great person to contact.
Thank you very much, Maria, for an inspiring interview!
P.S. You still don’t have a Buddy? – It’s time to change this!