• Who is the project addressed to?
• What in particular should a buddy do?
• Is the buddy expected to know how to fill in papers and forms for the Erasmus student?
• Can I be a buddy even if I'll be in Trento just starting from....?
• Can you assure that I'll be a buddy for an Erasmus student?  what about the nationality and the faculty I mentioned?
• Must the buddy abide the undertaken agreements?
• Must the buddy be a former Erasmus student?
• Is the buddy activity paid?

- WHO IS THE PROJECT ADDRESSED TO?
All students regurarly registered to the University of Trento.

- WHAT IN PARTICULAR SHOULD A BUDDY DO?
The buddy simply has to be a person available as much as s/he thinks it is appropriate. S/he is not "at the Erasmus disposal".
ESN Trento suggests all buddies, on the basis of their availability, to:

• contact the Erasmus student a few days before his/her arrival in Trento, in order to confirm the availability to help and ask for the scheduled time of arrivala;
• pick up the Erasmus student at the train station and bring him/her to the apartment assigned by the Opera Universitaria: those who had been welcomed in the past in this way can tell, how nice and encouraging is, to have a person waiting for you at the train station when you arrive in a foreign place;
• in case that Opera Universitaria could not give an accomotation to the Erasmus student the tutor is welcome to give help in finding accomodation in the private market, for example telling him/her where to put a request and giving a concrete help in case the student has a poor knowledge of the Italian language;
• helping with the offices of the Univeristy (mainly LLP-Erasmus office) and with Opera Universitaria;
• generally giving good advice to live in Trento and, why not, inviting him/her to do something when both do not know what to do!

- IS THE BUDDY EXPECTED TO KNOW HOW TO FILL IN PAPERS AND FORMS FOR THE ERASMUS STUDENT?

The Erasmus student has always to keep in contact with the LLP-Erasmus office for all bureocracy/administrative stuff. This is not Tutor's work. The best thing to do in such cases is to bring the Erasmus student directly to the LLP-Erasmus office and listen together with him/her what has to be done.

- CAN I BE A BUDDY EVEN IF I'LL BE IN TRENTO JUST STARTING FROM....?

For sure, the main thing is that you tell us WHEN you will be available, through you application. Of course there are periods in which almost all of the Erasmus students arrive (end of August/begginning of September and February) but of course somebody arrives in other periods/months. It is clear that if the availability is given for a period with few arrivals, then the chance of becoming tutor is smaller.

- CAN YOU ASSURE THAT I'LL BE A BUDDY FOR AN ERASMUS STUDENT?WHAT ABOUT THE NATIONALITY AND FACULTY I MENTIONED?

We cannot assure this, it will depend on the incoming Erasmus students and from the expressed preferences. Of course we will try to satisfy everybody, but it is important to know that this may not be possibile. For example there could be not enough Erasmus students for all the people who applied to become tutor. Another example is that in the past years there have been many students from East Europe, while not many tutor expressed these preferences, or there could be too many tutors for one faculty where only 10 Erasmus are coming to.

- MUST THE TUTOR ABIDE THE UNDERTAKEN AGREEMENTS?

Tutors are the main reference point for the incoming Erasmus students, and for this reason we expect them to be reliable, with a good welcoming attitude and willing to make new friends... However we want to remind that Tutors do not WORK for Erasmus students or for ESN and therefore they do not have to feel too much responsability or feel forced to do something they do not want to do with good mood.

- MUST THE BUDDY BE A FORMER ERASMUS STUDENT?

For sure NOT. It is clear that somebody who has been Exchange Student before will understand better the needs and the feelings of the incoming students. However also the enthusiasm of somebody who is willing to become and Erasmus student could help... 

- IS THE BUDDY ACTIVITY PAID?

No, as no member of ESN recieves money. In some extremly special cases we could evaluate a rembuirsment, but this has to be discussed case by case.
We would like to underline that ESN Trento believes that being a tutor of an Erasmus student is a great opportunity: the integration between exchange students and locals is something that should already be enough to be a good reason for being a Tutor.