Obstacles faced by students because of pregnancy or young parenthood

As a student you may find yourself facing a variety of obstacles:

• Concentration problems. You have a hard time staying focused on the task at hand. You would like to receive tips and support to help you focus on your classes and successfully complete your assignments.
• Trouble with planning and organising. Sometimes, it is difficult to plan your studies when you are pregnant or parenting a small child (on your own or otherwise). You know what you need to do for your degree programme, but your situation tends to change quite often. You would like to get help in this area.
• Anxiety or stress. Maybe you find your degree programme or internship stressful. There are possibilities to help you deal with this more effectively.
• Lack of energy. You may often feel tired and encounter obstacles in your studies or internship as a result.
• Money problems. It is possible that you are unable to have a part-time job in addition to your studies.

Even though these obstacles may cause difficulties, you can rest assured that more than enough tools and solutions are available that can help you successfully complete your degree programme. In the preceding section, click on the obstacle you are facing with which you could use some help. You can then read a lot more about that topic and find additional tips and tools. If your specific obstacle is not mentioned above, please refer to the comprehensive list of obstacles.

Support and facilities for students dealing with special circumstances

A variety of adjustments and/or facilities are available that may be helpful to you during your degree programme. While there are national schemes, your educational institution will offer its own forms of additional support, too.

As a student dealing with special circumstances during your studies, you might have a need for the following:

• Guidance and advice. Information on guidance and advice. There are a number of people who could help you with this. It is therefore always a good idea to seek out these individuals within your degree programme whenever you run into obstacles during your studies.
• Adjusted study schedule. In many cases, lectures and exams are scheduled far in advance. Many educational institutions offer possibilities for adjusting lesson programmes and schedules or changing the dates of exams if these are a problem for you. Talk to your study adviser to explore the possibilities available to you.
• Financial schemes. As a young parent, you might qualify for the single parent allowance scheme (eenoudertoeslag) (assuming you are a single parent).

Have a look at the other facilities that might be helpful for you, too.

Through the tool 'Hulpwijzer'[Help Guide], you can find organisations that have expertise on your support needs. Check out the possibilities.