{"id":10361,"date":"2012-12-04T15:29:48","date_gmt":"2012-12-04T15:29:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress72\/?p=22786"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:32","slug":"buddies-helping-buddies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2012\/12\/04\/buddies-helping-buddies\/","title":{"rendered":"Buddies helping Buddies"},"content":{"rendered":"
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To help international students get on their feet once they arrive in Rotterdam, ESN Rotterdam hosts a buddy-program throughout the year. \u201cWe want to establish a social and academic network for incoming students which makes their stay more worthwhile\u201d, says says Veronica \u00c5kerblad, Head of the Marketing, PR and New Media committee. <\/strong> <\/p>\n

The ESN buddy-system<\/strong><\/p>\n

International students arriving in Rotterdam can request a buddy through ESN Rotterdam. These buddies are students from Erasmus University that can show the incoming students around the campus and the city alike and help them with any possible issues they come across. Each buddy helps about five students get around in Rotterdam and The Netherlands overall as well as practical matter such as how to get a Dutch bank account and where to buy a cheap bike. <\/p>\n

First meeting<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mark van Zee (25) is a Dutch master student in supply chain management has several buddies, one of which is Javi Roncal\u00e9s (22), a Spanish law student. \u201cWe met on the day he and some of his friends arrived at the hostel in Blaak\u201d, says van Zee. Roncal\u00e9s and his friends arrived at the hostel late due to a flight delay. \u201cAlthough we were so late, Mark received us with a big smile on his face\u201d, Roncal\u00e9s says, \u201che had been in Spain before and he knows about our punctuality, so he was not surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learning each others culture<\/strong><\/p>\n

The ESN buddies are students with a diverse background can also teach the internationals about their culture as well as the Dutch culture. \u201cWhen I studied in Spain myself, my Spanish friends there taught me everything I needed to know about the country, gastronomy and their customs\u201d, says van Zee (25), \u201cI became a buddy because I liked the idea of doing the same for exchange students here in the Netherlands.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Practical help<\/p>\n

Van Zee helped Roncal\u00e9s mainly with small issues. \u201cI informed them on how things work in the Netherlands, which days the students go out and where, which cities to visit in Holland, and he even asked if I could teach him a few basic words in Dutch,\u201d says van Zee. \u201cMark is always willing to help me and offers nice plans to do\u201d, adds Roncal\u00e9s. <\/p>\n

From buddies to friends<\/strong><\/p>\n

Besides the practical help, Van Zee and Roncal\u00e9s do a lot of things together. Besides going to the ESN hosted BED nights on Tuesday, they watch football together or go to the gym. \u201cI truly have not seen any better buddies than Mark and me\u201d, says Roncal\u00e9s. Van Zee smiling, \u201cI now see him as a good friend instead of just a buddy who I help out. I\u2019ll definitely stay in touch.\u201d Both van Zee and Roncal\u00e9s know other students enrolled in the buddy-system who have become really good friends. <\/p>\n

Want a buddy or become one?<\/em><\/p>\n

ESN is now recruiting for buddies for the second semester. You can apply by send an e-mail to buddy@esn-rotterdam.nl with a short motivation and attach your CV. If you want to request a buddy, that can be done online here<\/a>. NdB.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t

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