Where to get guidance and support?
Guidance and support for study planning, study wellbeing, and career reflections for Aalto students.
Student health meeting for Aalto students
Student health meetings are a support measure for students whose ability to study has been reduced for health reasons. It is a confidential discussion between the student and representatives of both Aalto University and the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS). The goal of the meeting is finding ways for the student to further their studies while taking care of their health and wellbeing.
Who is the student health meeting for?
The student health meeting is intended for bachelor’s and master’s students whose ability to study has been significantly reduced for health reasons. The reduced ability to study may be evident in the student not making academic progress as planned or repeatedly failing to complete required work.
What happens in a student health meeting?
In a student health meeting, the parties discuss ways to help both the student’s academic progress and recovery. The aim is to create a consensus between the student, the university and FSHS on the student’s ability to study and the ways that the university and FSHS can cooperate to optimally support the student.
A student health meeting is usually a meeting of about one hour, where the student may share their experiences and views on studies and be presented with options and solutions to their situation. The FSHS representative acts as a chair in the meeting and prepares a memorandum of it. The Aalto representative can inform the student of the concrete support methods offered by the university. During the meeting, the student agrees on follow-up measures with the university, while FSHS will monitor the situation if necessary.
How to initiate a student health meeting?
Student health meetings are held only if the student is willing to take part in one. The FSHS and Aalto representatives may introduce the option of a student health meeting to the student, but it is the student’s responsibility to take the matter further.
If you have an ongoing treatment relationship with FSHS, you can discuss the matter with the familiar healthcare professional. Otherwise, you can call the FSHS number for assessment of the need for treatment. As you contact FSHS, it is worth scheduling several possible meeting times that you can suggest to the university.
The Aalto representative in the student health meeting is usually someone from the Success Team of your degree programme. If necessary, you can also bring another representative of Learning Services or a familiar student wellbeing specialist to the meeting.
When you have received the appointment time options from FSHS, contact Aalto through the secure email address of your school. Please send the email from your aalto.fi student email address and remember to add ‘.s.’ after the recipient's address in accordance with the list below.
Put Student health meeting as the email subject. In the message body, explain that you wish to agree on a time for a student health meeting and include the appointment times offered by FSHS.
- For ARTS students: confidential-arts@aalto.fi.s
- For BIZ students: confidential-biz@aalto.fi.s
- For ENG students: confidential-eng@aalto.fi.s
- For ELEC students: confidential-elec@aalto.fi.s
- For CHEM students: confidential-chem@aalto.fi.s
- For SCI students: confidential-sci@aalto.fi.s
Use your Aalto email address whenever possible. However, if you do send the appendices from some other email address, first sign into the portal at  https://securemail.aalto.fi and then send the appendices to the address of your school in accordance with the instructions given in the portal. 
Prepare for the meeting
All meeting parties should prepare for the meeting by writing down all the matters and viewpoints to be discussed.
As a student, you should think about what has caused problems in your studies or what you think needs to change. Describe in concrete terms how changes in your ability to study are reflected in your studies and try to think of solutions.
It is recommended that you discuss the meeting with the representative of your Success Team. With them, you can discuss who you think should be invited to the student health meeting, what support you have already received and, and where you still need assistance.
You can also bring a support person to the meeting if you find it useful or necessary.
For more information about student health meetings and student health in general, refer to the FSHS guidelines.
As an advisor within Aalto's guidance network
Information about the services, personnel, and materials that form Aalto's comprehensive guidance system.
FSHS provides student health services for those studying for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at a university.
Individual study arrangements
Each Aalto student has a right to receive reasonable individual study arrangements for medical reasons. A medical reason may be dyslexia, a sensory impairment, mental health condition or learning difficulty. Individual study arrangements should not be seen as a reason to stop aiming for the set learning outcomes. Instead, they are a way of supporting the student in attaining the learning outcomes.
Examples of individual study arrangements include additional time for examinations (1 hour at Aalto), a private space or computer for examinations, or adjusted schedules.