Good advice before going to Student Services

Our student advisors can help you with many important questions that you may be thinking about. This may be in relation to your degree but also to your social life as a student at the University of Copenhagen. Before you decide to talk to one of our advisors, it may be a good idea to prepare yourself a bit and think about what you would like to discuss. In that way, you can benefit more from your session with the advisor.

 

As a starting point, it is a good idea to consider the following:

 

• What is the most important thing for you to discuss?
• What are your expectations to the guidance advisor?
• What do you want to obtain from the session?

It may be good to note that usually it is not until after the guidance session that one gains a larger insight regarding the problem at hand. On the one hand, you may get an idea or solution to your problems during the conversation, but on the other hand new questions or perspectives may come up and you may feel the need to think about it more and talk to the student advisor again at a later point. You are always welcome to come back and ask for another session. You can also book a session if you want to be sure to speak to the same advisor again.

 

Remember that we have strict confidentiality. You can read more about our ethical principles here.         

 

 

Inspiration for considerations and questions you can use on your own

Below, we have gathered some exercises and questions which can inspire you further in your preparation or which you might make use of yourself. It might be a good idea to discuss the questions with your fellow students, friends or family. You are of course also always welcome to talk to one of our student advisors.

 

First and foremost, the purpose of the exercises is to help you put into words what it is you are having problems with. This will make your thoughts more clear and it will be easier for you to make choices or change the way things are currently.

 

 

Before, now and in the future?

If you are about to make a choice in your field of study concerning electives, graduate studies, studying abroad, traineeship and more, it can be a good idea to talk about the following:

 

• What have I learned during my studies until now? Not just in relation to concrete knowledge and skills but also in relation to what it means to be a student. What are your strengths and weaknesses? How do you prefer to study: in a group or by yourself? Why is that? What motivates you?
• Where are you right now in the course of your studies? At what stage do you find yourself, academically as well as socially?
• What are your aspirations? Why do you want to do it? What would you like to accomplish in relation to your study and later on in your work life. Make a plan on how to reach your goal. What steps do you need to take? 
• Ask yourself if there is a way to seek more information? Are there any options which you have not considered or may not be aware of? Do you need to talk to a student advisor to find out more?

 

The dream scenario - this exercise can be helpful if you are about to make a big decision in your life

In our approach to opportunities, problems and choices in life, we humans often have a tendency to put a strain on ourselves by only focusing on obstacles and problems. By doing that, we become very good at looking at problems instead of solutions. The dream scenario is an exercise to help make it easier to see solutions and opportunities instead of potential problems.

 

The dream scenario exercise is basically about dreaming. Focus on the part of your life that you wish to change. What is your goal? What do you dream about? Imagine your life as it would look in the dream.

 

Give yourself time to do the exercise. Think about it for a couple of days. In that way, different aspects of your dream become more clear and you can ask yourself the following questions:

 

• Is the dream sincere or is there actually something else you would rather want to do?
• What needs to happen in order to fulfil your dream?
• What can you do on your own, what can others help you with?
• What is your timeline?
• What obstacles do you need to overcome and how do you overcome them?
• Are there alternatives to your dream? Are there other ways of getting your dream fulfilled?

The strength of this exercise is that it helps you to think about unexplored opportunities and solutions when you allow yourself to dream. Furthermore, it helps you put into words the dream as well as the challenges you are facing to meet the dream. This exercise is not a miracle cure, However, it allows you to think of possibilities which you may not have thought of otherwise.