Why applicants should use UniBuddy

Tyriq Baker - SMR 2019/20

Tyriq Baker

Music BMus(Hons) - Third Year

Hello, my name is Tyriq, and I am a third year Music student. I play three instruments (piano, clarinet and bassoon), and I am a music composer of classical music, electronic music, and pretty much anything that interests me.

Why should applicants use UniBuddy?

UniBuddy is a digital peer to peer website that aims to connect prospective students to university students, with the aim of opening the opportunity for prospective students to connect with students at the university you’re interested in. Whether via the app, on the website, or recently, via UCAS, you can select a student and talk directly to them, and ask them about their experiences, on a more informal and chill basis.

 

Chat with current students

Before you choose what student you want, you can read the bio of all the students, which contains important information, such as which course each student studies at the University, what year they are in, and even what societies they are involved in. From this information, you can select specifically which students you want to talk to, perhaps a student who is on the exact same course as the one you are thinking of studying, or in a society that really interests you. There are other details too, such as hobbies, or even what country each student comes from. So if you’re an international student, and want to know what it is like to study in a new country, and its environment, you can look to directly talk with a student who has already made that decision themselves.

 

Get their opinions

This is a huge benefit! Sometimes, reviews of a university experience, or even going to the Open Day and speaking to staff is not enough to get an insider of what it’s like actually attending university. Sometimes, the best perspective is a student’s, who has been in the same shoes as you, of having to crunch down decisions to a final offer, and to go through the buzzing experience of working their way through the first weeks of being at university, the mistakes they may have made, things they learned, things that were completely unexpected. Not to mention all the locations to explore, the best clubs and offers, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and much more. You can’t get this kind of experience through the pages of a university prospectus, and so talking to a student opens up a completely new understanding to what it’s like at university and the surrounding area.

 

Ask lots of questions

It’s like a free trial experience – you can ask them all the questions you wish to know as if you are walking in their shoes, before you make your decision of which university is right for you. Now more than ever however, because many universities are currently shut due to Covid-19, it is so much more crucial to be able to communicate with those who are already at university.

 

Make new friends

But don’t see this as a completely formal discussion. I was in a conversation with a prospective student about our music tastes, and sharing music tastes. As long as it’s a respectable conversation, go for it! So why not try it out for yourself, write down all the questions you want to ask, and fire away – you’ll never know what new things you may learn and discover from that interaction!

And with that being said, feel free to drop me a message. I’d be happy to help where I can.

 

You can chat with Tyriq and other current students through UniBuddy here.

 

What to pack blog - Huddersfield

All articles by Tyriq

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