How to Find the Best Student Service and Avoid Getting Scammed?
Universities around the world offer a range of free services to students, but premium services like counseling or career coaching are not cheap or easily available for students. Students opt for these services because they know their significant effect on their growth and academic development.
Services such as tutoring, help centers, and counseling, have risen in popularity in recent years. Many student services and agencies have successfully built a good reputation for them among international students. However, many fraudsters target international students who have little to no experience. Deceptive and fraudulent services, that try to get your money or personal information, are common through the internet. So, you need to be careful when looking for good student service.
How to Spot an Excellent Student Service?
Usually, a good student service or agency offers comprehensive packages that try to facilitate students’ lives and help them achieve their goals, especially for those who want to study abroad. Here are some things that distinguish good student services from scummy and suspicious services:
Academic Coaching
Academic coaching is an important element that helps new students choose their proper path. Students mostly can easily speak with an academic adviser in universities, but not all the time. Academic advisers assist students in selecting a major or curriculum and clarify the admission process for students. The first session with an adviser is usually conducted over the phone or using video call tools, such as Skype or Zoom.
Career Services
Finding work after graduation is the main goal of most students. Some universities organize “career days” and may offer career services to help students after graduation. Similarly, some student services or agencies hire special consultants who can write compelling resumes (CVs) and provide feedback to fresh graduates about the main skills that they need to enter the job market. Furthermore, they can also assist you in creating a cover letter template that you can tailor to certain jobs.
Health Services
Although most universities offer health services for students for free, some students may require additional health services that they can’t easily find by themselves. Mental health treatments, for example, require a special insurance plan that only an experienced student agency can get for you.
Accommodation Service
A good student service agency should provide students with information about housing and accommodation options. They should keep a database that contains available rooms and properties that students can rent during their studies. Some agencies intervene in the rental disputes and help students get the best accommodation possible.
Free Tutoring
Good student services offer students free tutoring services or relatively cheap price tags. These services usually cover basic courses, not in-depth subjects. Some student services provide students with academic support and access to educational resources without asking for additional fees. This brings value to these services and encourages students to keep in touch with their academic advisors.
Follow-Up
It’s important to receive continuous support from the student service agency as adjusting to a new student life isn’t always a simple task. A good student service agency tries to follow up on students and monitor their progress.
How to Identify a Scam?
Scams come in different shapes and types. Be aware of scams that involve immigration, employment, tuition, and apartment rentals. Some typical characteristics of scams and scammers include:
- Scammers use phone numbers that appear to be from an official agency, but it isn’t.
- They may throw private information at your way, such as your school’s name or your address.
- They avoid identifying themselves, and if they do, they use fake names that sound weird and out of context.
- Claim things without going into details. For example, they may say “There’s an issue with your application status” without going further explanation.
- They may address you in your native language, but they will ask you to do something quickly.
- They want money, which can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, or may request credit card, debit card, or prepaid card information.
- They may threaten you with violence, and deportation, and may tell you to stay on the line and not hang up.
- Scammers also focus heavily on keeping their conversations private and try to schedule another call later.
- Scammers can ask you to meet them at a certain location that has a bad reputation.
How to Avoid Getting Scammed?
- Don’t answer calls from numbers you don’t recognize. They will leave a message if it is critical.
- Do not call back if the message is unusual or threatening, or if it implies you owe money.
- Hang up quickly If you unintentionally answer the phone.
- Give no money and make no promises to give money in the future.
- Do not meet up with potential scammers in person.
- Tell potential scammers nothing about yourself or your finances.
- Change passwords and information such as bank account and credit card numbers, if needed.
- Register a complaint with the authorities, so they can track the scammers.
- Tell other students or friends about your experience, so they also are aware of what’s going on.
