BUDDY SYSTEM

During the challenging time, Coronavirus pandemic, there is recognition of concerns about what life will be like at the RCA and how the incoming first-year students can build connections with others without being able to meet in person. That’s where the buddy system comes in. 

 

The idea of buddy system is basically to match incoming first-year students, 2022 cohort, with a second-year student-mentor, 2021 cohort, who can tell you about aspects of their experiences on the course that you are most interested in. However, this version of buddy system aims to provide as many matches as one possibly belong to, based on the belief that the more connections, the more helpful shared data, ultimately bringing about a sense of belonging to the aspects of both study and life during this difficult time. 

 

In this context, spreadsheet plays a role as a so-called matchmaker managing, utilizing, and visualizing data. It crucially facilitates a scoring system for data analysis in order to determine compatibility in a relationship instead of using a human instinct.

 

The first user touchpoint starts with a survey, it will gather individual’s information. The survey also covers a wide range of questions to help identify the range of experience, skills, goals, ambitions and also the personality, which the data is from Myers Briggs personality test, https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test. Without any pressure, participants are able to choose what to answer and could only focus on the questions for the matching calculation that are required. Finally, the information from the survey will be turned into a student profile which won't just be used for finding the right buddy matches but also forming project teams in Term 1.

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