We have all walked around campus lost on our first of college. We have all felt alone during the first months on campus when we couldn’t find friends who could help us figure it all out! The anxiety and depression of settling into a new environment kicks in and we look up to our seniors who have been through it all like us. The UMBC Buddy Program can be a great channel for us to connect with welcoming and helpful seniors who can guide us to find family away from home.
The program will connect the incoming freshmen and transfer students to students who have been in school for a year or more. The students can sign up for the program after orientation and will divided into smaller groups based on their backgrounds, like international student, commuter, and on campus resident, etc. The small groups will then be assigned with a few senior students who will meet up before classes start and go around campus with their group. The meetings that will be organized can be twice a month during the first semester, where the students can discuss there problems and struggles around campus and also find a mentor who can guide them academically and socially. The program will also form social connections for incoming students and be more socially active in a new environment. The participants of the program will be awarded with perks for campus activities like Retriever Dollars, gift cards, or on campus concert tickets. Let’s all find a home away from home at UMBC!
Stress and Social Life 