Do you need someone to talk to? What can we help you with?
Do you need someone to talk to? Don’t walk around keeping your problems to yourself.
We are here to provide you with support and advice. You can book an appointment or stop by the office. Advice & Health is a free service for all students at Østfold University College (HiØ). We can provide information, advice and guidance on various aspects of life. These include loneliness, isolation, problems in close relationships, anxiety, depression, intoxication, long-term illness, disabilities or pregnancy.
Some people struggle with low motivation or are lagging behind in their studies. Others can’t structure and plan their student lives and never have enough time. Sometimes, a couple of hours of guidance from us on setting up a weekly schedule in which all your activities are included, such as lectures, groups, studying, training and free time, can be a big help for a student. It’s important to take time off without feeling guilty and that you should be studying instead.
Others simply need to confide in or talk to someone. Many people struggle with low self-esteem and confidence, and believe that other students are so much ‘smarter’ and self-assured. This is often not the reality, but just something we’re imagining. Many people find a chat about such things beneficial.
Some students find it difficult to concentrate when they sit down with their books. So many other things are vying for our attention, e.g. social media. We can help with good advice on making your student life as good as possible. We can also learn to steer our thoughts.
Other relevant topics include financial problems, relationship breakdowns, eating disorders, assault, sexual harassment, etc.
Our special education adviser can analyse reading and writing difficulties/dyslexia and produce expert documentation that can be included with applications. They can help organise audiobooks from the Norwegian Library of Talking Books and Braille (NLB) and help with special needs adaptations during your studies.
Students who speak a foreign language can also encounter challenges it can be good to chat to an adviser about. Many think that Norwegian academic language is difficult with many new words and terms. Others struggle to settle down in the community and Norwegian culture.
When should you contact us?
Some students think they have to be experiencing serious difficulties before they contact us. This is wrong. It’s often good to talk to someone before your problems overwhelm you. A few chats are all it might take to resolve a specific situation, while other times a longer period of follow-up may be required. Don’t be afraid to contact us.
Naturally, we are bound by a duty of confidentiality, and you decide how much and what you want to tell us.
