The Buddy Scheme is designed to help you settle into life as a Queen Mary student.
How does it work?
Starting university is an exciting chapter but it can also feel overwhelming at times. That’s where the Queen Mary Buddy Scheme comes in.
The scheme pairs new first-year students (mentees) with experienced second or third year mentors from their academic school, while also opening doors to connections with mentors across the wider university. Designed to help students feel supported from day one, it’s all about building confidence, community, and meaningful connections at the heart of the student experience.
Whether you're navigating a new city, adjusting to academic life, or just looking to meet people beyond your course or flat, the Buddy Scheme is here to help you settle in, make friends, and have fun along the way.
Your mentor will be a friendly, trained volunteer who offers informal support, shares useful tips, and helps you feel more confident as you begin your journey at Queen Mary via our online mentoring and communications platform Vygo.
What are the benefits?
Being part of the Buddy Scheme will allow you to:
- Meet other students from your School in your year and beyond
- Learn about all that is on offer to Queen Mary students
- Gain practical advice and support for any issues or concerns
How do I sign up?
The Queen Mary Buddy Scheme runs from September to March.Each September, new students are invited to join our online mentoring and community platform, Vygo. Once you sign up, you’ll be connected with a friendly mentor who’s ready to support you as you settle into university life.
Missed the email? No problem! You can sign up at any time using the link below and start connecting straight away. Sign up to Vygo here!
If you are starting in January and would like a mentor, you can sign up with your Queen Mary email address and connect to a mentor in your School. All our mentors are experienced and trained undergraduate students, if you are a postgraduate student interested in connecting to a mentor in January email us at: buddyscheme@qmul.ac.uk. Please include your full name, student ID number and academic School.
This year we are piloting a new mentoring scheme called Level Up. This scheme is for students returning for their second year at Queen Mary who might benefit from having a peer mentor to help them settle back into university life. For more information please visit the Buddy Scheme Level up page.
For more information on the Buddy Scheme visit our webpage.
Any other questions?
If you would like any further information, please contact buddyscheme@qmul.ac.uk