Supporting students in difficulty

Faculty members may often identify students that face personal difficulties. Recognizing the signs is the first important step, so that students may be provided with help to address their challenges.

Below you may find some of the most common issues raised by students, as well as the person, office or department to address, when seeking help.

  • For students who have difficulties in learning or are disorganised, the Social consultation of the Student Affairs provides individual support. Additionally, students can find tips on how to get better prepared and organised for an exam, and thus deal with the fear of failure.
  • For students needing vocational advice or advice on the choice of optional courses, alternative solutions may come from a Study Advisor. Each student is assigned to a Study Advisor from their Section, whose role is to monitor academic progress and guide students, when necessary, by offering personalised learning and support. If you need more information, take a look at the list of Study Advisors in the concerned Section. 
  • For students seeking advice on whether to complete part of their curriculum elsewhere, they can be directed to the Student Exchange Office. They could also contact the exchange coordinator for the relevant section.
  • For students looking for an internship or a part-time job, or who lack job-seeking skills, you can suggest the EPFL employment portal and myjob, or direct them to the Career Center.
  • For students facing financial problems, stress, in distress, or similar problems, individual support is available at the Social consultation. For issues related to housing, a dedicated team is available.
  • Students in search of spiritual guidance, are made welcome by the chaplaincy service.
  • Students who feel in need of psychological support, experience a crisis requiring urgent help, can be directed to the Psychotherapeutic consultation, where a team of specialists is there to help.
  • For students with a disability or students with special educational needs, the website for persons with a disability  gathers together useful information and contacts. In particular, arrangements for examinations are available on this webpage.
  • For more information on how to help your students with difficulties, visit this webpage