Deakin Buddies help

Deakin Buddies provides you with an opportunity to connect with your peers. There are a few things you can do to increase the chance of finding compatible buddies.

Follow our tips for getting the most out of Deakin Buddies and find out what works for you.

Writing a bio

When you’re writing your bio make sure you include what you’re hoping to get out of Deakin Buddies. You might be looking for a study partner so you can develop a better understanding of a particular subject. Perhaps you’re looking for someone who is also studying online so you can share your overall experiences and get moral support. Whatever the reason, if you include it in your bio, you’re more likely to connect with buddies who are looking for the same thing.

And don’t forget to add a few things about yourself outside of your studies. Let them know about your work, family and other commitments, your goals, aspirations and interests.

Setting search criteria

It’s important to keep an open mind when you’re setting your search criteria. Once you’ve set your first preference of either course or units, think about widening the scope of your search and seeing what other potential buddies you can find. Sometimes the online students who aren’t studying the same course can be the most valuable buddy.

Pick your top buddies

Once you’ve read over the bios of your potential buddies, pick out the five to ten that you feel would be the most compatible. Send them a buddy request and then wait for their reply. If you haven’t heard back in a few days, move on to your next choices.

Be proactive

You need to make sure that you’re putting in effort to connect to potential buddies. If someone requests you to be their buddy, don’t wait for them to contact you, send them an email introducing yourself. When your connected buddies send you an email, always respond as quickly as you can.

Make sure you keep an eye on your inbox and keep checking your notifications. New people are joining the app every day, so make sure to keep searching for potential buddies!

Try and form a group

If you connect with multiple buddies, you might want to consider setting up a group. Working in a group is a great way to deepen your understanding of a subject or build a healthy support network.

A great way to get to know your new buddies is through a quick icebreaker or ‘energiser’ game. You could bring a quick five-minute icebreaker to a session, or you could go online and find one together. We’ve put together a list of common icebreakers for you to explore. Give them a try and see if they work for you.

Hate versus love

Each buddy in the session has to list one thing they love and one thing they hate.

Two truths, one lie

Each buddy needs to say three statements about themselves, two that are true and one that is false. Everyone else has to guess which statement is the lie.

End the sentence

Write a sentence down and have your buddies finish off the last word. You could write something like ‘My favourite food is…’ then have each of your buddies in the session finish the sentence. Then come up with another sentence.

Perfect Sunday

Each buddy introduces themselves and describes what they think is the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

If you were a dog

Each buddy picks a breed of dog that best represents who they are and then explains why.

If you’ve matched with more than one buddy who lives in the same area or studies similar units, you should consider starting a group. Working in a group is an excellent way to further your understanding of a topic. It’s also a great way to build a support network of like-minded students.

Take a look at our tips on setting up an effective group and then discuss the idea with your buddies.

Contact possible members

If you find multiple people in Deakin Buddies studying the same units or living in your local area, you can always reach out through the web tool and invite them to join a group. When you’re sending a Deakin buddy request, include a description of your study group and an invitation to join. Make sure you don’t share anyone’s contact details without their permission!

Define a purpose for your group

It’s important to make sure that everyone in the group agrees on a reason for meeting. If one group member is hoping to dig deeper into the subject matter of a particular unit and another is looking for more general support with their studies, it could be hard to keep both group members happy. Have an open and honest discussion with your buddies about what they’re hoping to gain from the group. Once you’re all on the same page, you can start working together.

Decide on a method of communicating

There are many different platforms you can use to communicate with your group. It’s a good idea to discuss the different platforms your group members are already using and then decide which one will suit the group best. It’s easier to use a platform that most of your group members are already using, so it might be worth putting the decision to a vote.

Decide when and where you’ll meet

Organising a time for your group to meet can be a challenging process. Try creating a poll using something like SurveyMonkey to find a time that works for all your group members. Make sure you propose multiple times to meet. It will increase the chances of finding a time that works.

There are plenty of ways your group can meet online. If you’d prefer to speak to people over video chat you can download collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams and Microsoft OneDrive. Or you can choose an online space from any number of apps and social media sites. If your group all lives in the same area, you might want to consider meeting in person.

Stick to a schedule

Once your group has decided when, where and how you’re going to meet, you should aim to have regular meetings. Create a schedule of meetings throughout the trimester and try to stick to it.

Whenever people are working together in a group, there’s a possibility for conflict. It’s a good idea to consider how you’re going to handle conflict before it happens. Remember, if handled properly, conflict can drive new ideas and form new opinions. It’s OK for group members to challenge each other’s opinions. It’s when a conflict is handled poorly that it becomes a problem.

Be open

It’s best to approach your group with an open mind. Part of working in a group is learning how to both receive and give feedback. Make sure you actively listen to everything that the group is saying and consider your responses. Make sure your feedback is considerate and constructive. The key is to ask plenty of questions and to take in the group’s answers.

Be respectful

Always be respectful of other people’s opinions. Give people time to express themselves and don’t interrupt when they’re speaking. You also need to make sure that you’re not monopolising the group’s time. Make sure everyone has a chance to speak.

Discuss

A large part of working with a group is about figuring out a way to work with others. This means you’ll be doing some negotiating and working on your interpersonal skills. It’s a good idea to have an open discussion in your group where each member describes what a good group dynamic looks like to them. How do they like to be spoken to? How do they like to speak to others? Do they prefer a structured session with an agenda or a something loose and casual?

Take a break

When a conflict happens and the discussion stops being constructive, the group should take a break. Take some time to process the situation, look at it from a different point of view and then reconnect.

Reporting inappropriate behaviour

Students using Deakin Buddies are required to treat each other with respect and to follow the student code of conduct. If you feel that a student is acting inappropriately, you can report their behaviour Link does not work.