You can indicate your wishes in your registration form. We will try to take them into account. Please understand that due to the great popularity of certain countries, we may, however, not be able to accomodate your wish. Also, students from certain countries are not available every semester.

Yes, buddy training is mandatory. There, you will learn everything there is to know about the program and at the same time meet other students who are involved.

You only have to participate in the BeBuddy training and the intercultural training once and then you'll be set for the rest of your studies.

You should plan to be involved for about three months.This doesn't mean that you'll have to be near Campus or in Aachen the whole time. You can certainly go on vacation or be away otherwise, but you should still be reachable. In the beginning, however, face-to-face support is indeed expected.

That depends on which languages the mentee speaks. English is the rule, but some international students also speak German quite well.

First we try to clear up any potential misunderstandings or see if the problem can somehow be solved. But if you and your buddy expect very different things from one another, a new pairing is of course possible. We want you to be satisfied with the program, so if you have any problems, please contact the BeBuddy team.

Unfortunately, we don’t always know about any short-notice changes in the students' plans and have to rely on the information provided by the mentees when they register. But we will gladly find another mentee for you. Please contact the BeBuddy team if you are interested.

As a buddy you are an unpaid volunteer and are not obliged to take on tasks, your mentee should accomplish on their own. Primarily, you are meant to help and support your mentee with questions such as registration, travel, or finding accommodation. After your mentee has arrived, it would be nice if you could show her or him around the city and important authorities (bank, citizen service, etc.) and perhaps accompany her or him to view the apartments. However, you are under no obligation to take on the mentee's personal tasks.

The certificate of participation is always issued at the end of the semester. You will receive an email with a link to the evaluation and a request to re-register for the next semester. Once you have completed the evaluation, you can apply for the certificate testifying to your commitment as a BeBuddy.

That's not a problem. The only important thing is that you are available in person at the time of arrival, because most questions come up right at the beginning.

We do not have any concrete guidelines, but rather rely on your willingness and interest in regular contact. In general, you should be available as a buddy for about three months and you can decide how often you meet according to your availability. At the beginning of the semester, it would be great if you could meet your buddy personally.

Yes, you can be a buddy to several mentees at the same time. You can define the number of mentees you want when you register. It actually makes sense to mentor more than one student because the mentees can also network and support each other. This does not necessarily mean more work for you, but it might, on the other hand, make things easier. Also, you have even more opportunities to make friends.

That is understandable. The only important thing is that you are available to answer questions when the mentee first arrives and, if possible, arrange to be meet him or her personally at the station. Let your mentee know about your limited time so that they are aware.

Yes, we recommend a short re-registration via email, then we will update your availability in your profile. You can, however, also change your availability in your BeBuddy profile yourself at any time.