Doubting Your Studies

Sometimes things don’t go according to plan. We can help you find your own way.

Advising

When you’re trying to get reoriented, an individual advising appointment can help. It’s good to take some time to clarify your options.

Get some support and don’t work through these questions alone! Together we can try to find out what your next steps could be. Advising is free and confidential.

The teams in the Career Service (general advising and questions about job applications) and the Study Advisory Service (general advising and questions of changing degree programs) are happy to offer support.

Information to help with your decision

There are many reasons to doubt your choice of studies. What are yours? What are feeling unsure about? What or who can help you best? And: what would a possible next step be?

When you degree program isn’t meeting your expectations, meeting with the Study Advisory Service, Career Service, or another contact person in your faculty can help. You can use this opportunity to clarify if you’re experiencing a short-term difficulty or if it makes sense to rethink your choice of degree altogether. Does your degree program fit with your preferences and interests? Is it helping you reach your career goals?

Now on YouTube: the Tutorial-To-Go from Career Service: Recognizing your Strengths – Mini-Workshop with 10 exercises and tips (with English subtitles).
You can find many tips for organizing your students and academic work on AULIS and in this video (in German only).

The Center for Teaching and Learning (Zentrum für Lehren und Lernen) offers workshops about time management, scientific work, and academic writing.

The University of Oldenburg offers a variety of material about these topics as well, including pamphlets about organizing your work or procrastination (in German only).
The Psychological Counselling Center through Studierendenwerk can offer support if, for example, exams are causing too much stress, there’s a family or relationship crisis, you’re having health problems, or you’re simply feeling overwhelmed.
Studying may not be the right choice at a given moment. There are also other ways to start your career. The Federal Work Agency (Agentur für Arbeit), job organizations, and trade schools provide information about apprenticeships and professional development.
PrevDrop

University of Oldenburg’s project for international and refugee students who choose not to finish their studies

Check out the German version of this website for even more online resources.

Thinking outside the box: alternatives to studying

Maybe it’s worth taking a look outside the university for answers to your questions.

The professional development course to become a state-qualified technician is a practically-oriented training program leading to a professional certificate. In some circumstances, credits earned at a university can be recognized for credit in the program.

Technikerschule Bremen (in German only)
Child-care provided are valued and needed. If you have pre-existing knowledge in social work, education, or psychology, there’s a possibility that you can start the child-care provider training program in the second year. These schools can advise you:

Schulzentrum Blumenthal

Inge Katz Schule – Berufsbildende Schule für Sozialpädagogik und Hauswirtschaft (in German only)

Berufsbildende Schulen Sophie Scholl Bremerhaven (in German only)

Advising

Information to help with your decision

Choice of degree program

Organizing your students, academic work, and time management

Finances

Crises and test anxiety

Too much theory and not enough practice?

More information

Thinking outside the box: alternatives to studying

Advising at the Federal Employment Agency

Dual Apprenticeships

Bremen Technical School

Become a child-care provider

For international students