Advice and guidance

Each study programme has a study advisor (sometimes called ‘academic advisor’). They are your first point of contact if you have any questions or problems either before or during your study. You can contact your study advisor if you need to talk about any specific personal circumstances, if you have a functional impairment or an illness, or for information about the Binding study advice (BSA) or planning your study. Your study advisor can also help you with questions about your degree programme, such as course units, electives, minor programmes, etc.

It is sometimes difficult to understand the difference between a study advisor and a student counsellor. In this document, you will find an overview of the differences and similarities in topics for which you can contact a study advisor and a student counsellor.

The student counsellor is the person to contact to apply for educational or examination facilities. They can also give you information about the Dutch student finance system, relevant legislation and regulations, and financial facilities if you experience a study delay due to extraordinary circumstances.

It is sometimes difficult to understand the difference between a study advisor and a student counsellor. In this document, you will find an overview of the differences and similarities in topics for which you can contact a study advisor and a student counsellor.

Most Bachelor’s degree programmes assign a mentor to each student at the start of the course. The mentor is an older student or lecturer from the same degree programme. They are your immediate point of contact for all kinds of practical issues related to your degree programme.

A study buddy is an older student from the same degree programme who provides practical support for first-year students with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) or AD(H)D (attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder). This individual support will help you to find your way more easily in your new environment. A study buddy can help you to plan your study or work out your timetable, or can provide social support.

Some degree programmes provide support in the form of a tutor. This is usually a lecturer from your degree programme. Tutors know a lot about the course content, and therefore usually provide support for content-related aspects of the degree programme. If your degree programme makes use of tutors, you will receive information about this during the course.