Sam Scott – Head of Advice
Support Services
University can be incredible. It can also be tough. Life can throw things your way that you weren’t expecting and hadn’t planned for, leaving you feeling worried, isolated and anxious.
The university has various support services available to help but it can seem overwhelming trying to pick the correct one. We are going to break down the main ones here and hopefully steer you towards the correct support. Remember though, we all work together so if you’re unsure, ask anyone and they will direct you to the right service.
Student Hub
The Student Hub is the first point of contact for almost any enquiry. They have a wealth of knowledge and can answer most questions and signpost you to other services for more in-depth support. You can email them on studenthub@soton.ac.uk.
The Advice Centre
Run by the student union with professional, fully trained staff, The Advice Centre can help with any practical matter such as housing, finance and academic. Think of us like a Citizens Advice Bureau just for you. We are committed to equity and accessibility and will tailor your visit to whatever you need it to be. You can email us on advice@susu.org.
Wellbeing
The Wellbeing Team are here to support your mental health and wellbeing at university. They work closely with the disability and inclusion team to ensure that you are receiving the correct support to help you through your studies. They can be accessed via The Student Hub by emailing studenthub@soton.ac.uk.
Disability & Inclusion
The Disability & Inclusion Team exist to make sure that you have reasonable adjustments in place for exams and that you can access disabled students allowance to help cover study related costs. They can be contacted via the Student Hub by emailing studenthub@soton.ac.uk.
ISVA – Independent Sexual Violence Adviser
Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs) provide specialist support to victims and survivors of sexual violence. An ISVA is an adviser who works with people who have experienced rape and sexual assault. The type of support that an ISVA provides will vary from case to case. More information on accessing support from an ISVA can be found here: https://reportandsupport.southampton.ac.uk/campaigns/expect-respect.
Academic Skills Service
The Academic Skills Team can provide advice and guidance to students on a variety of study skills areas including: time management, writing skills, critical thinking, exam preparation, presentation skills, notetaking and academic integrity.
They can provide advice and suggestions on aspects of academic writing such as: critical analysis, structure, different assignment types and genres, planning, writing styles and understanding feedback.
They can support with mathematical and statistical skills including: understanding key concepts, overcoming maths anxiety, application of theory, exam preparation, gathering data, relevant statistical analysis and software support including SPSS and Excel. More information on the Academic Skills Hub can be found here: https://library.soton.ac.uk/sash.
Personal Academic Tutor (PAT)
You also have access to your Personal Academic Tutor who can help you with academic questions but may also be able to signpost you to other services. They will have a thorough understanding of the course and the programme so if your query is related to that, it may be best to start with them.