School - Bergische Universität Wuppertal

Actively shaping your program –
Central Student Advisory and
Counseling Service (ZSB)
“Can I teach at primary school
without mathematics?” “I
want to take Latin. Can I do that
here?” “I’ve failed again – what
shall I do now?” These are just
three of the many questions
the ZSB has to answer every
day. UW’s Central Student Advisory
and Counseling Service
explains degree and study program
procedures and supports
students who want to change
subject or who have individual
difficulties or problems during
their studies. Specific support
is also provided by the Careers
Service during the final phase
of a degree program and the
transition to professional employment
(see 50).
Subject and program
orientation/
psychological
counseling
The first port of call for students
or school-leavers seeking
information or guidance
is the ZSB Information Center,
where trained student assistants
who know the university
from A-Z can provide the
Student Counseling Service’s
own material and information
on more than 70 degree programs,
as well as answering
many questions from firsthand
experience. More complex
issues are referred to one
of the student counselors.
Students must be able to find
their own way and shape their
own study program, and student
counseling aims to empower
them in this respect. A
recurrent issue, for example,
is ‘first semester shock’: a
few weeks into their first term
students suddenly realize that
university is not like school and
that they must plan their own
program of studies and take responsibility
for their own success.
Other problems are connected
with work organization, the
order in which courses and
modules should be taken (individual
flow-plan), switching
subjects, or psychological
problems such as examination
stress and anxiety. The
Student Counseling Service
offers professional psychological
counseling for individual
students who require support
in difficult personal or studyrelated
situations.
Intercultural
counseling
In cooperation with UW’s International
Office the Student
Counseling Service runs intercultural
counseling sessions
where exchange students,
whether coming to UW or going
abroad, will receive useful
tips and training for coping with
new cultural experiences.
Group training
A regular feature of the Student
Counseling program is
seminars such as ‘Study and
Work Techniques’, or ‘Coping
with Examination Stress’. For
those about to graduate, the
transition to a professional career
is eased by seminars on
writing an application, time management,
teamwork etc.
Dr. Christine Hummel
Central Student Advisory and
Counseling Service (ZSB)
T: +49 (0)202 439-2595
E: zsb@uni-wuppertal.de
Opening times:
daily 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. except
Fridays 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
k www.zsb.uni-wuppertal.de
All you need to know about studying at university: UW’s Central Student Advisory and Counseling
Service
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