Support for students with psychological problems

If you have psychological problems and/or a developmental disorder, you might:

• have problems focusing on your studies
• have problems structuring and planning your work and generally lack overview
• have problems understanding the substance of the courses
• have a tendency to postpone assignments, examinations, and entire semesters
• have endurance difficulties, possibly resulting in a change of study programmes
• have problems learning and reflecting on your own learning process 
• be suffering from severe anxiety attacks, possibly during exams or in unfamiliar situations
• have problems participating in group contexts: teaching activities, group work, study groups etc.
• have social difficulties, lacking a social network on the study programme
• have a poor sense of occasion and possibly a disruptive impact on the teaching
• pay very little attention to detail or vice versa
• lack commitment and motivation in relation to your studies
• have a low stress threshold and problems handling performance and work pressure.

As a student with psychological problems, you may, for instance, be granted the following support:

• Study support by the Student Counselling Service: The study support by the Student Counselling Service will focus on your well-being in your studies, including the acquisition of tools for handling the specific challenges you have as a result of your diagnosis. You must reapply for support each semester.
• Academic support: It is usually provided by one of the lecturers on your study programme, who will act as a supervisor and motivate you in relation to any academic challenges. The focus may be on improving your structuring and planning skills and developing strategies. The academic supervisor should be regarded as a provider of educational support with the aim of teaching you to use various strategies for gaining academic knowledge and applying this knowledge on both a general and an abstract level. The type of support and the way in which it is provided naturally depends on your specific needs, which you will work together on identifying in the various stages of your studies.
• Mentor support: A mentor is typically a fellow student enrolled in a previous year on the same study programme as you. The role of the mentor is to provide you with support in relation to the more practical and social aspects of studying. For instance, the mentor can help and support you at the beginning of a new semester—either the first semester or after the summer holidays when many students lack motivation. The mentor can also help you with course and exam registration and help you structure your homework, assignment, exam preparation schedule etc. The type of support and the way in which it is provided naturally depends on your specific needs, which you will work together on establishing in the various stages of your studies.
• Supervision for lecturer or mentor: In connection with the granting of academic and mentor support, it is also possible to apply for supervision for the lecturer or mentor. That means that the lecturer or mentor can meet with an expert who will provide them with further information on the specific psychological or developmental disorder and give them advice and guidance on how to ensure the students are offered help and support in the most appropriate way.
• Dictaphone: Students can use the dictaphone to record classes and lectures. The dictaphone is a tool for taking notes, as audio files can be transferred directly from the dictaphone and stored on a computer. This allows the student to listen to the recordings again at home with a view to processing the information, improving focus and attention, and selecting the most important parts of the academic material.