Psychological or psychiatric circumstances

If you experience study difficulties because of a psychological or psychiatric problems, we will try to solve them together with you as well as possible. Examples are an adapted study planning, or the temporary use of a separate examination room (in case of some types of anxiety or phobia). It is also possible to make an appointment with a UG psychologist for short-term (max. 5 sessions) individual help.

• The UG handles all requests for exam facilities on a case-by-case basis. Facilities granted at other educational institutions are not taken over by default. These previous facilities can, of course, give you ideas if you already think about the type of facilities that can support you at the UG. These thoughts and ideas can then help you in turn when you talk to a study advisor or student counsellor about your needs. The facilities that are possible are determined on the basis of the nature of your barriers, the underlying documentation and (if applicable) an individual interview with the student counsellor. The board of examiners of your programme will take the final decision on the facilities. In doing so, it takes into account the final attainment levels of the programme and assesses whether the facilities can reasonably be realised.

  Please note: In our experience, the offer in educational and/or examination facilities in Dutch universities may differ from what students are used to in other countries. In some countries these facilities may be more extensive, while in other countries they may be less extensive or similar. We believe that differences arise because of (for example) a different role of the university in health care, private/public status and accompanying tuition fees, and interpretation of the terms ‘reasonableness’ and ‘feasibility’. We advise you to take these possible differences into account. If you would like to receive more information about our facilities before arriving in Groningen, please contact us at ssc-info rug.nl. One of our student counsellors will be happy to advise you on this matter, thereby taking your personal circumstances into account.

• If your circumstances affect your studies and cause you to incur a delay and/or have to adjust your study planning, please raise the alarm in time. The study advisor of your programme can inform you about a realistic study planning or a possible reduction of the Binding Study Advice (BSA) threshold. You may also be eligible for facilities and/or financial arrangements in the event of study delay. The student counsellors of the Student Services Centre (SSC) can inform you about this during your studies.

• The student counsellors and study advisors at the University of Groningen observe a professional code of trust. This means that they will never share information about you with third parties (inside and outside the university) without your explicit consent. Thus, information you share with a student counsellor or study advisor will also never affect an admission, selection, assessment, etc.

• If you want to make use of (examination) facilities: fill in the information tool, to find out which steps you need to take to request facilities. Depending on your request, you can either submit a digital application, or an appointment with a student counsellor will be necessary first.*

  In this flyer you will find a schematic overview of the entire step-by-step plan for requesting facilities.

  Please note: We strongly advise you to apply for the facilities you need as soon as you arrive in Groningen, around the start of your studies. After all, how nice is it to already have everything well arranged at the start of the programme? It is also possible to submit an application after the start of your studies, but due to high demand it may take a little longer for your request to be processed.

• Do you think that the examination facilities you have applied for unfortunately do not adequately compensate for your study difficulties? Or are your studies delayed because of your circumstances? Make an appointment with the study advisor as soon as possible. You will inform the study advisor of your barriers / complaints and discuss the impact these have on your study progress.

In the video below you'll get to know Laci, an international exchange student with special needs who talks about his experiences at the University of Groningen.

• The Student Service Centre (SSC) offers various courses and workshops to support your studies.

• On the website of the national Expertise Centre for Inclusive Education, you will find information on the various disabilities, study tips, the consequences for a course and possible adjustments.

• The Student Well-being Portal [UG computer account needed] provides an overview of all contact points, resources and initiatives in the area of student well-being. In the section 'Peer contact & support' you will find a number of target groups described, with a lot more information and tips that you might recognise yourself in.