Student counseling

At universities (universities, universities of applied sciences / universities of applied sciences), the term course counseling covers all measures that help students with problems with their studies, but also with difficulties in their private lives, and that should enable them to return to regular work at the university.

organization

Student counseling at universities is organized on several levels:

Decentralized advisory institutions at the level of the faculties , departments and academic institutions of the university.
Supplementary advisory services for students in the respective subject ( student councils ) and centrally at the general student committee .
Central advisory institutions ( International Office ), Career Service , Central Student Advisory Service .

Study advice or study advice

Every subject at a university has (or should) have named employees ( professors or research assistants) who are specially designated to advise students in their subject. These academic advisors advise on all questions that may arise in connection with the successful study of a subject:

Freshman introductions and tutorials,
Timetable design,
Study regulations and examination regulations of the subject,
but also advising students interested in studying the subject.

Academic advisors have publicly announced office hours. As a rule, these office hours and all contact details (telephone, email, room details in the university) can be obtained from the central student advisory service.

Student Advice

An important task of the Student Counseling Center at universities refers to information and advice in choosing a university course, the assistance with entry into the study , on an on restricted subjects study course to obtain and act on the advice in difficulties in the course of study can. The student advisory service at universities cooperates with the career advice service of the local employment agencies ( Federal Employment Agency ).

Target groups: pupils , prospective students and students of the respective university.

Advice and service:

Information advice (information about courses, study plans, labor market aspects, housing ...)
Help with the decision to study at a university
Organization of university information days ( Dies academicus )
Questions about admission to studies ( foundation for university admission , numerus clausus , local admission restrictions, enrollment )
Advice on examination regulations and study regulations
Orientation phases for first-year students, help with adjustment difficulties to the new university situation
Help with learning and work difficulties
Assistance with exam preparation, time and exam management
Reorientation in the course of study: change of location, subject or degree or dropping out
Questions about the end of studies, career orientation, application training.

Open consultation hours and self-information

During the open office hours, there is usually a brief consultation and the allocation of information material: information on all subjects at the university and helpful brochures for the decision to study and the start of the course.

All advice centers also answer individual questions by e-mail, present their offers on websites and send out information material in paper form. An extensive information desk is usually available to visitors to student counseling centers.

Individual advice

If you have detailed questions, those seeking advice can make an appointment for a more detailed consultation with employees. For a detailed consultation, an appointment is required in person or by telephone.

Group offers

In addition to one-on-one interviews, many student advisory centers also offer groups, e.g. a. on topics such as exam management or work organization, academic writing.

Advising students, teachers and schools

For the preparation of the choice of subject and the career decision, student advice centers cooperate with teachers and schools in the relevant university region as well as with the university team of the Federal Employment Agency. They organize and supervise university information days for school classes, advanced courses or grades with information events, visits to lectures and consultations with academic advisors.

Psychological counseling and psychotherapy

Many student counseling centers offer one-on-one interviews and advise on the basis of methods of client-centered psychotherapy , behavioral therapy , gestalt therapy , psychoanalysis and family therapy for study-related personal problems.

Principles of advice

Advice takes place

in the interests of those seeking advice
neutral
client-centered
open-ended
confidential.

Projects

The GINKGO advisory project for foreign students at the University of Frankfurt, for example, is a cooperation between the International Office and the International Study Center . At the end of 2007, the DAAD selected it in a nationwide competition - and funded it until the end of 2008. In the meantime, the administration, the student union , the departments and external partners are gradually forming a network . The backgrounds generally include up to 60 percent dropouts and in Frankfurt almost 20 percent students from abroad - with a decrease of 15 percent.

Public and private study advice

The Federal Employment Agency offers student advice nationwide for the following target groups:

Students with university entrance qualifications (Abitur, technical college entrance qualification, subject-specific university entrance qualification)
Experienced professionals with a desire to study (studies without high school diploma)
Students with various concerns (e.g. change of course, dropouts, entry into the labor market)
Experienced professionals with the desire to study further
Parents.

The psychological service of the Federal Employment Agency offers not only advice, but also tests, e.g. B. Study advisory test, aptitude test (content will be discussed). The counseling offers and tests are free of charge.

In addition to publicly sponsored student advice, private companies also offer professional student advice. This is usually chargeable. Your advantage: the providers as service providers have a high level of interest in the success of the advice and can thus offer a very high quality of advice. In addition, the advice is provided independently in the sense of the "customer". There are different areas of focus in private study advice. Most providers specialize in psychological counseling. In addition, there are consultants who focus on bringing together those looking for a university place with a university place. The core of the offer here is a form of knowledge management.

Training, professional and professional associations

The training to become a study advisor is not regulated. The Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) is an international training and quality standard that is also widespread in Germany .

In Germany there are numerous offers for student advice from various public and private institutions. Among other things, this leads to fluctuating (financial and personnel) resources and different interests among the providers of advice. As a result, difficulties arise for the professionalization and quality assurance of the offers and for the representation of the interests of consultants and their advice seekers. There are several self-organized associations of consultants who take on such tasks:

literature

Federal Agency for Employment & States of the Federal Republic of Germany (Hgg): Study and career choice 2007/2008. Information and decision-making aids Verlag Bildung & Wissen, Nuremberg, 37th edition 2007, ISBN 978-3-8214-7313-0 , ISBN 3-8214-7313-4 .