Student Advice and Counselling Service
There are many situations where good advice is needed while studying, whether it has to do with general or orientation-related problems at the start of your studies, questions about timetable planning, learning techniques, opportunities to study abroad, or discontinuing your studies. We will support you through all phases of your studies, including if you are considering postgraduate studies or a doctorate, or if you would like to prepare for entry into the job market.
Student advice and counselling service // International students // Studying abroad // Subject-related advice // Study advice for education degree students // Learning tips and self- & time management // Psychological counselling // Addiction counselling // Studying with a disability // Study doubts // Studying with family // Social, legal and psychological counselling
Student advice and counselling service
The student advice and counselling service supports students during all phases of their studies. It can assist with big and small questions about study planning and organisation, provide advice about making changes to a study plan, as for example when changing subjects or beginning a double degree, as well as provide assistance where students need some initial orientation or have doubts about continuing their studies.
In addition to in person and telephone consultation hours without prior appointment, the student advice and counselling service offers advice and counselling sessions with prior appointment as well as information and advice via email.
In order to help prevent problems arising and to provide early assistance in times of crisis, a wide range of workshops are available every semester in addition to advisory sessions.
All advice and counselling services are confidential, voluntary, free of charge, and have a neutral orientation.
For detailed subject-specific questions, faculty subject advisors are the best point of contact.
Further information on advisory and counselling sessions
Sonja Eser on counselling services for students
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Are you an international student who plans to complete an entire degree at the University of Augsburg? Have you already been admitted to study and are planning your first few weeks in Augsburg? Are you looking for information on scholarships, intercultural events, or services offered by the International Career Service?
Information for prospective international students
- Phone: +49 821 598 - 5065
Studying abroad
How do I plan a semester abroad? What student exchange places are available? When do I have to apply by? How can I finance a semester abroad?
If you are interested in studying a semester abroad either within or outside of Europe, you should gain an overview of all the exchange programmes available at the University of Augsburg as early as possible. The search portal “Exchange Opportunities” (Austauschmöglichkeiten) provides an overview of which universities cooperate in exchange programmes with the University of Augsburg.
Students can also obtain more detailed information at information events organised by the International Office, which can help in deciding which exchange programme, country, or university is best suited to your needs. Individual concerns can then be clarified in one-on-one advisory sessions.
SUBJECT-RELATED ADVICE
Faculty subject advisors are the primary contact persons for all detailed subject-specific questions related to your degree programme.
STUDY ADVICE FOR EDUCATION DEGREE STUDENTS
The team at the Centre for Teacher Education and Interdisciplinary Educational Research (Lehramtsberatung des Zentrums für LehrerInnenbildung und interdisziplinäre Bildungsforschung, ZLbiB) advises:
- students in education and education-related degree programmes at the University of Augsburg,
- students in education and education-related degree programmes at other universities who would like to transfer to the University of Augsburg,
- participants in post-qualification courses within the framework of special measures of the Bavarian State Ministry for Education and Cultural Affairs, and
- students regarding various other matters.
Prospective students who have questions about education degree programmes at the University of Augsburg can contact the student advice and counselling service for further details and support.
Study advice for education degree students
Prospective education degree students
Information on planning your education degree
LEARNING TIPS AND SELF- & TIME MANAGEMENT
When preparing for exams, do you find yourself despairing about the amount of material you have to learn? Are you having problems getting into a rhythm with your studies? Do you have problems writing academic papers? Do you only start studying the week before exams? There are many obstacles to learning and successfully passing exams.
Reflect on your own learning and try to describe it. Based on this, the student advice and counselling service offers individual advisory sessions, workshops, and coaching sessions. It is also able to provide recommendations of literature that may help students in all disciplines and semesters design an efficient and sustainable learning process. For this, it draws on findings from cognitive science research, e.g., “brain-friendly learning.”
Self- and time-management are closely related topics when it comes to learning advice. The goal of advisory sessions is achieving stress reduction while at the same time maximising learning productivity and effectiveness. An important part of this is learning to set priorities, effective time management, and integrating helpful time management techniques into everyday study routines.
Studying with confidence Exam anxiety Learning tip videos
- Phone: +49 821 598-5138 /-5999
- Phone: +49 821 598-5489 /-5999
PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELLING
Does this sound familiar? You actually want to prepare for an exam, but you keep doing something else. Or you are in a crisis because the last exam went really badly. Maybe you're going through a relationship break-up or there’s stress at home or with your housemates, which is distracting you. Do you feel weak and exhausted? Are you worried about your future and wonder if you might be mentally ill? Then please consider talking to us about your problems so that we can seek out solutions together.
You will receive individual support through psychological counselling. Students at the University of Augsburg can take advantage of individual counselling or coaching sessions on study-related or personal problems that are affecting your studies.
Counselling sessions can include:
- personal crises (relationship problems, family stress, homesickness),
- feelings of burnout in everyday life,
- exam anxiety, learning blocks, procrastination,
- motivation problems, stress, exhaustion, and burnout,
- problems with decision-making, self-organisation, or stress management,
- anxiety and depression,
- identity and existential crises, and
- questions regarding the risk of addiction.
Long-term psychotherapeutic counselling is not offered by the university, but we can help in finding a suitable therapist.
All counselling sessions are confidential, voluntary, free of charge, and neutrally orientated. They can also be conducted anonymously.
How to contact us
Send an appointment request to leben@zsb.uni-augsburg.de and one of our counsellors will contact you to arrange an appointment.
Appointments will take place in person or, if desired, via zoom or telephone.
Other psychological support services:
- Telefonseelsorge (crisis help telephone line) is available around the clock and free of charge via 0800/1110111 or 0800/1110222. It offers real-time telephone and email counselling.
- Krisendienste Bayern offers free psychosocial help and advice and can be reached via https://www.krisendienste.bayern/ and via the free telephone number 0800 / 655 3000.
- Help in life-threatening emergency situations is always available by calling 112.
- The “Nummer gegen Kummer” (number against grief) has been set up by the association of the same name especially to support parents. It is available free of charge and anonymously from Mondays to Fridays from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.: 0800/1110550.
Flyer about psychological counselling at UniA
B!ST – ADVICE FROM STUDIERENDENWERK AUGSBURG
B!st, Studierendenwerk’s advisory service, offers students at the University of Augsburg advice on social, legal, and psychological problems.
Advice is free (it is included in the Studierendenwerk fee) and confidential. A lawyer, a social worker, a certified psychologist, and the representative for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses are available to help you.
Psychological counselling (in German)
Studying with a disability (in German)
- Phone: +49 821 65 04 24 - 0
Having doubts about studying?
Are you having doubts about your studies? Are you doubting your abilities, the subjects you are studying, or your career prospects?
If you are experiencing doubt, you should take the time to reflect on your own abilities, goals, and expectations. Ask yourself: “Where am I really at right now?” “What do I really want?” The more you know about your situation and how you feel, the easier it is to decide on next steps.
Orientation advice helps students navigate the process of (re)orientation and change by providing both counselling and helpful information.
If your doubts have more to do with learning problems or exam anxiety, then contacting learning tips and advice or the psychological counselling team may be more appropriate.
Useful links and tips:
- Student self-reflection tool (in German)
- Next career project (in German)
- Dropping out? What’s next? (in German)
- IHK Schwaben (in German)
- Self-discovery tool from the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (in German)
- Berufenet of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (in German)
Studying with family
How can study and family be combined? Is childcare available at the university? How are young parents supported during their studies? What do I do if I have a child during my studies?
You can find out about all the ways we can support you on our homepage. The family service is the ideal point of contact to advise you on questions regarding combining your studies with family.
STARTING A CAREER
What strategies are useful for finding a job? What graduate entry jobs could lead to your dream job? What makes a good job application? How can I best prepare for a job interview?
With a clear personal profile, you can begin to search for suitable jobs. How to appropriately present your knowledge, skills, and experience, both in written documents and in personal interviews, is the final hurdle. Our career service offers job-focused events and workshops as well as the option for individual advice and counselling.
Events and workshops on starting your career
University team at the Agentur für Arbeit Augsburg
CAREER ORIENTATION AND ADVICE
What career options are open to me and where to do I see myself in future? Should I embark on an academic career, or should I start a start up? By choosing to study you have already made the first step in your future career. That’s why it is important to find out about what requirements and opportunities exist for pursuing your chosen career on the job market.
By having clarity about your career direction, you can also start to network with alumni in your area and develop a professional network. For this to be successful, it is important to reflect on your personality, personal interests, desires, and skills and what further qualifications you may need to achieve your career goals. The career service offers a variety of events and opportunities for gaining career advice to support you in pursuing your chosen career path.
University team at the Agentur für Arbeit Augsburg
Events and information on career orientation
doctoral advisory service
If you have successfully completed a master´´ s degree or state examination and are considering pursuing a doctorate, you can gain general advice from the doctoral advisory service. Individual advisory sessions focus on topics such as motivation, regulatory formalities covering enrolment and examinations, finding a doctoral supervisor (Doktorvater/-mutter), tips on choosing a topic, planning, funding, and career prospects.
Doctoral supervisors are responsible for providing advice on the subject matter and content of the dissertation.
Further information on pursuing a doctorate
General advisory session on pursuing a doctorate
- Phone: +49 821 598-5146 /-5999
addiction counselling
Suddenly, everything is different from school… There is no doubt about it, organising a degree with its many different options and scope for freedom while at the same time performing at your best is mentally demanding.
And so begins the search for structure, support and orientation, social contact, relaxation, confirmation, distraction, and feelings of pleasure…
An antidote to a lack of orientation, loneliness, fear, self-doubt, stress, and boredom is often the increased consumption of media or other substances.
The new addiction counselling service offers free and confidential counselling sessions to help you regain self-control where you may be suffering from an addiction or be at risk of developing one.
With the following short self-observation exercise, you can make a self-assessment about whether addiction counselling is right for you.
Answer the following questions honestly, reflecting on yourself:
- Do you find it increasingly difficult to delve deeply into your studies, to research independently, to read a lot, to stay focused and concentrated?
- Do you often consume media (mobile phone, internet, social networks) or certain substances to distract yourself from feelings you don’t want to feel or thoughts you don’t want to think?
- Do you sometimes consume media (e.g., social media or computer games) or certain substances to give yourself a quick sense of achievement, reward, or pleasurable feelings?
- Do you surf the internet and social networks in order to avoid other activities and social contacts?
- Do you consume alcohol or other drugs due to feelings of a loss of social control?
- Do you often find yourself unable to stick to your own plans and boundaries?
- Have you ever taken or thought about taking performance-enhancing substances to help you cope with your studies, exam stress, or the pressures of combining work and study?
If you answered “yes” to several of these questions, well done on being honest with yourself. This is the first important step towards change!
Take the second step NOW by seeking out support in order to win back your freedom and self-control!
STUDYING WITH A DISABILITY
What do I need to know about studying with a disability? What can I do if a chronic or mental illness is affecting my studies?
11% of all students in Germany report having a health condition that negatively impacts on their studies (Source: 21st Social Survey of Studentenwerk).
The student advice and counselling service provides information and assistance for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Advice is aimed at, but not limited to, students and prospective students with:
- mental illnesses (e.g., depression),
- chronic-somatic illnesses (e.g., diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease),
- mobility impairments,
- visual, hearing and speech impairments, and
- learning disorders (e.g., dyslexia, dyscalculia).
It can provide assistance with:
- compensation for disadvantage (e.g., extension of writing time),
- extension of time limits (e.g., for exceeding the maximum duration of studies),
- admission (e.g., hardship applications),
- organisation of studies (e.g., study advice, leave of absence),
- structures and services in higher education (e.g., barrier-free accessibility).
Advisory sessions and information
Representative for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Sexual harassment can affect people of all genders, regardless of their social position. It generally refers to any unwanted sexual behaviour that violates a person’s dignity or personal boundaries. If you have experienced sexual harassment or something similar, have observed incidents of sexual harassment, or you would like to reflect on your own behaviour, the University of Augsburg can provide you with information and advice.
The following activities may help in enabling you to sort out your feelings and work out next steps: taking notes in a diary, documenting any incidents you have experienced or observed (e.g., writing a protocol, saving emails, noting witness contact details), briefly writing down the feelings that were triggered by the situation, and talking to trusted friends and family members, or to professional third parties through counselling or help hotlines.
The Evermood platform offers information on sexual harassment and provides the details of relevant contact persons. The Office for Equal Opportunities offers:
Information, contact details, and the possibility for anonymity (Evermood platform)
- Advice on sexual assault and violence: Frauennotruf München: https://frauennotruf-muenchen.de/kontakt/ or via telephone: 089 63737
- Wildwasser e.V.: https://www.wildwasser-augsburg.de/home.html
- Strong! LGBTIQFachstelle gegen Diskriminierung und Gewalt (LGBTIQF against discrimination and violence): 089 856346427; chat advice is available via www.strong-community.de
- Helpline for violence against men: https://www.maennerhilfetelefon.de/ or via telephone on 0800 123 9900
- Helpline for violence against women: https://www.hilfetelefon.de/das-hilfetelefon.html or via telephone on 08000 116 016