Registration for the fall semester 2023 is now open!

International students sign up here

Norwegian students sign up here

----------------------

What is the buddy programme?

The purpose of the buddy programme is to assist international students in Trondheim with integration in the Norwegian student life. The local buddy gets the opportunity to practice a foreign language, get acquainted with different cultures and get involved in the international community in Trondheim. The local buddy is a (Norwegian) student in Trondheim, who has signed up to provide a friendly support to a foreign student arriving in Trondheim. We will do our best to find a matching buddy and exchange student. Since many of the Norwegian students are interested in practicing a foreign language, we are trying to match according to the language the foreigner speaks. We will also try to match according to gender and campus. The amount of interaction and support is completely dependent on the interests of both of you. However, to avoid possible misunderstandings, we have some simple guidelines:

  • Both buddies should agree upon and exchange an efficient contact method - phone, email, Facebook etc.
  • A local buddy should be able to, on request of the guest, to give support for at least 15 minutes per week (based on a mutual agreement of a suitable time) in form of a common meeting
  • During the whole semester, the local buddy takes the guest to at least one social event (party, visit some culture, trip, etc.) where the majority of the students will be Norwegian students

These guidelines are just to give you a little hint, and are not strictly obeyed. Throughout the semseter ESN Trondheim will arrange parties and also buddy-events (quizzes, hiking trips, paintball etc.). We hope to see you!
Make sure to follow ESN Trondheim on Facebook to get the latest updates regarding the buddy programme. All buddy-events will be posted there.

Where do I sign up?

International students sign up here

Norwegian students sign up here

How does it work?

You sign up, and when and if there are enough students signed up you may be matched with a buddy. Both international and Norwegian students sign up online and fill out a form with basic information about themselves. The first buddy-matching will take place around the third week of classes. When and if you get matched, you will receive an email with information about your buddy. If you don't get a buddy or haven't signed up before the first matching, you may still get a buddy at a later date. We match buddies continously throughout the semester. Please note that we can't guarantee that everyone will get a buddy.

 

FAQ

I signed up a while ago, but I haven’t heard anything. Why?
If you have the confirmation email, you are properly registered in our systems. 
Most likely we haven’t found a suitable buddy for you yet. We strive to match you with other students that we think will fit, and sometimes that means that it does take a bit longer to find a buddy. 
 
I didn’t get a confirmation email when I signed up. Am I entered into your systems?
Check your spam folder first. If you can’t find the confirmation email anywhere, you are not properly entered into our systems, and you need to sign up again. Remember to press submit after filling in your information.
 
I missed the deadline, can I still get a buddy?
There is no set deadline. We do the first matching session about two-three weeks after the semester has started. After that we match buddies continuously throughout the semester. We have matching sessions roughly week, more if the need arises. We do however stop matching about six weeks before the semester ends. You are however more likely to get a buddy if you sign up early.
 
Can I come to your events even if I don’t have a buddy yet?
Yes, all international students are welcome at all of our buddy events. We’d love to see you there. 
If you are a Norwegian buddy, you need to have a buddy this semester to join events that require signing up prior to the event. Events like that are meant for international students and active buddies only. You are still welcome to join other events, like quizzes, hiking trips, parties and games.
 

I’m an international student but not part of the Erasmus programme. Can I still sign up?

Yes. All international students are welcome at all of our events, including the buddy programme.

 
When do you match buddies?
Our first matching session (and the biggest) is after about two-three weeks of classes. After that we match buddies continuously throughout the semester, roughly once a week.
 
Do you still assign buddies?
Yes. We match and assign buddies continuously throughout the semester. We match roughly once a week, more if the need arises.
 
It would be useful to have a buddy when the semester starts, why don’t you start matching earlier?
We need enough Norwegian applicants before we can start matching. In our experience most Norwegians sign up after the semester has started, whereas most international students sign up prior to the semester has started.
 
I am an international student, can I have multiple buddies?
No, please only sign up once. Fewer Norwegian students sign up than international students, and we want to cover as many international students as possible.
 
I am a Norwegian student, can I have multiple buddies?
Yes. Specify how many buddies you want in the sign up form. If you have already signed up, but want more buddies, send us an email. There are always fewer Norwegian students signing up than international students, so we need all the help we can get to cover as many as possible. Please note that you will not get more than one buddy in the first matching round. This is to secure that everyone gets at least one buddy that matches their wishes. Also note that how many buddies you end up having depends on how many are available. You will never be assigned more than your max number.
 
When will I get a buddy?
Please note that not everyone will get a buddy. While we do our best to cover as many as possible, there’s simply not enough Norwegian students to cover everyone. 
Most buddies are assigned after about three weeks after the semester have started, after that we do matching sessions roughly once a week.
 
Am I guaranteed to get a buddy after signing up?
No, we are sadly not able to offer any guarantees. We strive to match as many buddies as possible, but the sad truth is that there are simply not enough Norwegian applicants to cover everyone.