Where can I get help when I have difficulties with my studies?

Info-Service Studium

Students who have general questions regarding their studies at Freie Universität Berlin should first get in touch with the Info-Service Studium (via phone, email, or in-person ). The Info-Service Studium also answers organizational and administrative questions and can help with Campus Management. If your problem cannot be resolved by the Info-Service, they will refer you to the respective responsible office and contact person.

General Academic Advising

You're having trouble with getting settled at university and don't know why? Or you have come to realize that your current study program is not the right one for you and you want to switch? The general academic advising team can help if you want to change your study program or the university, attain a second degree, or if you are thinking about dropping out entirely.

Besides offering information on these general topics, academic advising, in cooperation with the psychological counseling unit, regularly offers events and workshops on methods of scientific work, which you can find online in the course catalog under Central Facilities > Academic Advising and Psychological Counselling.

Psychological Counseling

The university's psychological counseling can help you with problems such as writer’s block, procrastination, anxiety when having to take exams and speaking in public, stress, work overload, or depression.

Their team consists of psychotherapists who possess a medical license or are in the advanced stages of their psychotherapeutic training. Everything discussed with them falls under medical confidentiality.

In addition to individual counselling sessions, they also offer workshops and training courses, so it’s always worth taking a look at their event schedule!

Departmental Advising

The departmental advisers of the respective study programs are responsible for all program-specific questions. If you have questions on how to organize your studies, your class schedule, or other more specific concerns, please go to them for advice.

You can find the contact information online on the department’s website or in the course catalog. Many departments also have student advisers; so if you prefer to talk to a fellow student, you can go to them. Their contact information can also be found online.

The Women's Representatives

The team of the Central Women's Representative (information in German only) offers students confidential counseling on sexual harassment, discrimination, stalking and other issues. All departments, central institutes and central facilities of Freie Universität Berlin also have a Women's Representative and a Deputy Women's Representative. Here you will find a list of all women's representatives.

Information on sexual harassment, discrimination and violence at university, what this means, what can be done about it and where help is available can also be found on the page No means no!.

Counselling Services of the studierendenWERK Berlin

The Psychological – Psychotherapeutic Counselling Service of the studierendenWERK Berlin offers support to all students of the universities and higher education institutions in Berlin.