Country of Residence
Nigeria
Age
19
Project title
BuddyUp Cycle for Students’ Wellbeing and Success
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
BuddyUp pairs newly enrolled undergraduate students with trained senior students (“buddies”) from the same department and places first-years in small study and support circles of four to six members. The circles meet fortnightly to develop time-management and self-care skills while sharing notes, discussing difficult topics, and supporting one another academically and emotionally. This approach reduces isolation, strengthens belonging, and promotes student wellbeing and academic success.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
N/A
Project Category
My project is a brand new / emerging idea
Project Stage
Idea (We’re hoping to get started in the future)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
When I gained admission to the University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, I resumed late and struggled to catch up with my classmates. Without a friend or senior student to guide me, even basic concepts in Biotechnology became difficult to understand. Poor network connectivity also limited my access to online study materials and made submitting assignments challenging, especially under tight deadlines. These experiences often left me feeling isolated and overwhelmed. However, I gradually developed strategies that helped me cope. I created a personal study timetable to organise my reading and manage different courses. More importantly, studying with friends transformed my learning experience. We shared notes, discussed difficult topics, explained concepts to one another, and prepared for tests and examinations together. This made learning easier, more engaging, and less stressful. My experience helped me recognise how much difference timely guidance, friendship, and peer support can make in a student's academic journey and emotional wellbeing. I realised that other newly admitted students could face similar challenges without the support they need. This inspired me and my friends to develop BuddyUp, a student-led initiative designed to help newcomers settle into university life, build positive study habits, manage academic pressure, and access appropriate wellbeing support.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
Limited access to guidance and counselling services, combined with the absence of structured peer-support networks in some Nigerian universities, can leave new and existing students struggling with academic pressure, social isolation, and emotional challenges. Without reliable guidance from senior students, coursemates, or supportive peers, students may find it difficult to navigate university life, understand demanding coursework, and cope with setbacks. These challenges can contribute to poor academic performance, repeated examinations, absenteeism, anxiety, depression, and withdrawal from school. Students experiencing distress may also become vulnerable to harmful coping behaviours, including substance misuse, or struggle with thoughts of self-harm. Although professional counselling is essential, students may not always know where to seek help or feel comfortable approaching formal services. This problem matters to me because I experienced the difficulties of adjusting to university life without adequate guidance. I understand how overwhelming academic demands can become when students feel alone. I also experienced the positive difference that studying with friends can make through shared knowledge, encouragement, and practical support. Buddy Up seeks to reduce isolation, promote resilience, and help students achieve better educational and personal outcomes.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
BuddyUp will establish structured study and support circles that connect newly admitted undergraduate students with trained senior students from the same department. The initiative will operate through four key activities: 1. Department-based buddy matching: At the beginning of each semester, new students will be paired with senior students who understand their programme's academic demands, assessment methods, and practical requirements. This will provide newcomers with a trusted peer to approach for guidance and encouragement. 2. Regular check-ins: Buddies will hold brief weekly conversations with their assigned students to discuss workload, stress, adjustment to university life, and emerging concerns. These check-ins will help identify difficulties early and encourage students to seek appropriate support. 3. Fortnightly skills sessions: Small circles of four to six first-year students will meet every two weeks to learn practical time-management and self-care skills. Activities will include preparing weekly study plans, breaking assignments into manageable tasks, balancing lectures and practicals, maintaining healthy routines, getting adequate rest, and recognising when to ask for help. 4. Collaborative learning and wellbeing support: Circles will function as study groups where members share notes, discuss difficult topics, work through assignments, and prepare for tests and examinations. A dedicated WhatsApp platform will support peer discussions, information-sharing, encouragement, and continued engagement between meetings. Before implementation, buddies will receive basic training in active listening, wellbeing awareness, confidentiality, appropriate boundaries, and referral procedures.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
BuddyUp is a new initiative at the idea stage, so implementation and impact measurement are yet to begin. Our goal is to ensure that every newly admitted student feels welcome and has someone to turn to from the first weeks of university, helping address difficulties before they escalate into severe distress, poor academic performance, or withdrawal. We expect BuddyUp to achieve four key outcomes: • Reduced isolation and a stronger sense of belonging among new students. • Improved time management, study habits, and confidence in handling academic workloads. • Increased adoption of healthy self-care practices and earlier use of appropriate support services, including campus counselling. • Stronger leadership, empathy, communication, and mentoring skills among senior student buddies. I believe this approach can work because I experienced its benefits firsthand as a Biotechnology student. My friends helped me navigate difficult assignments and challenging days, demonstrating how peer support can make learning more manageable. Students may also find it easier to discuss everyday challenges with peers who understand their experiences, while being encouraged to seek professional help when needed. We will measure progress through surveys assessing belonging, perceived stress, and confidence in managing time. We will also track buddy and circle attendance.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
While universities may offer orientation programmes, counselling services, or general mentoring, BuddyUp introduces a structured, student-led model that integrates academic collaboration and wellbeing support from the beginning of university life. As a proposed initiative at my newly established university, it responds to students' everyday challenges through the following features: 1. Student-led and experience-based: Developed from my own experience, BuddyUp responds to practical challenges students face when adjusting to university life. 2. Department-specific matching: Students are paired with senior peers from the same programme, making guidance on coursework, practicals, assessments, and study routines more relevant. 3. Prevention and early support: Rather than focusing only on students already experiencing serious difficulties, BuddyUp encourages healthy habits, connection, and early help-seeking from the first weeks. 4. Integrated academic and emotional support: Study circles combine collaborative learning with conversations about stress, self-care, and adjustment, recognising the connection between academic pressure and wellbeing. 5. Digital and in-person engagement: Fortnightly meetings will be complemented by a dedicated WhatsApp BuddyUp platform for peer learning, encouragement, information-sharing, and continued connection. 6. Safe referral pathways: Buddies will receive basic training to recognise their limits and direct students to professional counselling or health services when necessary. Peer support will complement, not replace, professional care. 7. The initiative will use trained student volunteers, existing campus spaces, and accessible digital platforms. Beginning with a departmental pilot will allow us to test the model.
How many people are on your team?
4
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
Our proposed three-person team will combine leadership and shared responsibility to achieve BuddyUp's objectives. Roles will cover student buddy coordination, social media and communications, and public relations and student welfare, with responsibilities shared where necessary. We will begin with a pilot in our department, review feedback collectively, and recruit student leaders from other departments as the initiative grows.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next three months, I will focus on establishing BuddyUp's foundation, securing university support, and preparing for a departmental pilot. First, I will organise the three-person team, assign responsibilities, and develop a simple implementation plan covering buddy selection, training, circle meetings, safeguarding, referrals, and monitoring. Second, I will formally notify the university authorities, particularly the Dean of Student Affairs, and seek approval and guidance for implementing the initiative. I will also engage my department to explain the project's objectives and explore opportunities for collaboration, including identifying suitable student buddies and focal persons. Third, we will develop basic guidelines for matching students, conducting weekly check-ins, facilitating fortnightly study circles, maintaining appropriate boundaries, and referring students who need professional assistance. We will also establish a dedicated WhatsApp platform for coordination, peer learning, encouragement, and feedback. Fourth, we will identify interested senior students, prepare them for their mentoring roles, and recruit newly admitted students for the initial pilot. My long-term goal is to build a sustainable student-led support network that promotes academic success, positive relationships, and mental wellbeing across the university.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
As a Biotechnology student, I participate in student groups, associations, and online communities, including WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook. I will use these networks to raise awareness about the challenges students face when adjusting to university life and introduce BuddyUp as an opportunity to build supportive relationships, improve study habits, and promote wellbeing. I will also seek opportunities to speak briefly during departmental meetings and student gatherings to explain the initiative, encourage participation, and invite interested senior students to become buddies and newly admitted students to join a circle. By sharing my personal experience of overcoming academic difficulties through friendship, time management, and collaborative learning, I hope to help students recognise the value of seeking support rather than struggling alone. As the project develops, we will share updates, practical study tips, self-care information, and participation opportunities through our WhatsApp platform and other social media channels. We will encourage members to share their experiences, recommend improvements, and invite other students who could benefit from the initiative. We will also engage departmental representatives and student leaders to help identify students who may need support and encourage wider participation.
