So, you've been accepted for Erasmus+ mobility and the time came to pack your bags. You have no idea what to expect, the excitement is everywhere, you can't wait to get to this new town.
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But you have a sudden realization - you have no clue how this town 'breathes'.
But here we are, with a solution, so sit down and let us introduce you to something called The Buddy System!
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Buddy System is created to connect exchange students to the local ones in goal to ease their stay in a new place, from their arrival until their last days of stay.
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Still skeptical? Well, here's how it goes and how you can benefit from it as an Erasmus student.
After you register to our Papaya Buddy system, our HR coordinator connects you to someone you're compatible with. You get to text this new Buddy of yours. Now you get to meet them!
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Well, at least online, for starters. After some chit chat, you see if this person is fitting for you. If you want a new Buddy, you can always ask our HR coordinator to get a new one.
First thing you need when you arrive is to rent a flat. Finding acommodation for your Erasmus stay can be tricky if you don't know how pricing and that whole flat-sharing system in this new country works, so having a local person guiding you to look for affordable and compatible places not too far from your faculty could be useful. This new Buddy of yours could possibly know someone who's renting a good place or maybe he/she can be your new roommate!
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Now you need to do all that paperwork at the police station, your faculty and the local IRO. And you don't know where any of those are located.
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There's a lot to unpack there, we understand. Your Buddy will know where you must go, so ask him/her for directions!
And finally, it's time for pa-I mean, going to classes and being a good and hard-working student!
Okay, seriously speaking, who wouldn't want to discover interesting places in this new city, ie. where's the best coffee in town, where to get good pizza, where can you find the cheapest beer, where can you go to have fun with your new Erasmus friends etc. City of Split offers a plethora of beautiful places worth checking out and your Buddy will surely know where to go, especially on a student budget, or mid exam period when your life is in flames and you're broke.
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You now know everything there is to know about this new city, but now you want to meet new people, make connections and new friends among both Erasmus students and local ones. Well, your Buddy is your gateway to meeting new people - not only your new Buddy can meet you with his friends, you can come together to ESN events to hang out with other Erasmus students and their Buddies. But events aside, the people make the city. Through hanging out with locals, you can learn about their culture, learn few new words in their language (just don't swear near Steve Rogers - he doesn't like that kind of language) and create connections that will last for long after your Erasmus experience ends. Your Buddy is one of them, so spend time together while you can.
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Have we convinced you yet about the benefits of having a Buddy? We did??
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And who knows, maybe one day your Buddy decides to do exchange in your city and you get to be his Buddy!
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Now, the application part. Our ESNBuddy matcing service Papaya is downloadable for both Android (https://bit.ly/papayaESNandroid) and iOS (http://bit.ly/papayaESNiOS), or go to the Web link (http://bit.ly/papayaESN). Register via our local ESN and subscribe to the Buddy system - and that's it!
Now you're all set. Have fun!
written by: Nina Kraljević
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