Sponsored by the University of Amsterdam
It’s easy to take the student services offered by your university for granted, but services such as counselling or career coaching can be painfully expensive out in the ‘real world’, and can make a huge difference to your wellbeing and personal development. So, make sure you are familiar with all of the services available to you on campus – starting with these seven amazing student services that every student should check out!
1. Career counselling
Attending career counselling workshops at your university is the perfect way to explore your motivations and assets, the skills you could offer a business, and careers you would be a good match for. Career counselling is especially useful if you aren’t quite sure which direction to head in. It will help you discover new options and decide on a pathway. Your university careers center can also help you when applying for jobs, searching for internships or contacting alumni in your sector.
2. Campus healthcare
Some universities offer a student medical service on campus with flexible appointments, telephone consultations, walk-ins and healthcare professionals dedicated to assisting students. Whether you’d like advice on contraception or are suffering from a bout of “Freshers’ flu”, your campus nurse or doctor should put you at ease so that you feel comfortable speaking freely about any medical issues bothering you. International students (both EU and other) at UvA are entitled to use the university doctors, as long as they have health insurance in place.
3. Networking training and events
To increase your employability, it’s useful to start building a professional network as soon as possible. If networking doesn’t come so easily to you (or indeed, terrifies you!), make use of student services designed to make networking less intimidating. To help you maximize your chances of success, UvA offers networking workshops teaching students how to approach professionals both online and offline, and also organizes regular events linking students with professionals.
4. Student counsellors
Everyone feels overwhelmed by university at least once during their studies – and there’s absolutely no reason to face this feeling alone. Student counsellors can help you cope with any aspect of student life, whether you’re concerned about exams, finances, health issues, homesickness or anything else. The UvA offers free counselling services, including support specifically for international students.
5. Language center
Having an extra language on your CV will improve your employability and increase your chances of finding work after you graduate. Most universities run language centers to help international students learn the local language, and to help all students take up additional languages at an affordable cost. The University of Amsterdam, for example, offers Dutch language courses to its international students at special rates at the Institute for Dutch Language Education (INTT).
6. Student gym
Your university should have a student gym on campus, typically at a very affordable rate and conveniently located for dropping in before or after lectures. UvA’s gym offers individual training, classes, a fitness test, and has centers across UvA’s various campus locations.
7. Study training and workshops
Some universities offer study skills workshops and training courses to teach students effective revision strategies and time management. Some workshops are more personalized than others. UvA’s ‘study skills workshop for international master’s students’, for instance, is specifically designed to teach international postgraduate students perhaps unfamiliar with the Dutch educational system effective revision strategies and skills.
