• Stressed out by classes or General Exams
• Frustated by your interactions with your advisor or colleagues
• Annoyed by your roommate
• Confused by the strange culture you've just landed in
• Just in need of someone to talk or vent to

MIT provides institute-wide services such as MIT Mental Health for administering to general counseling needs, but many of the concerns that arise in Course 8 students' lives are specific to the particular environment of the Physics department -- and, as such, can only be appreciated by other Course 8 students. The REFS are here to be those students.

All members of the MIT Physics REFS have undergone extensive Institute-certified training in conflict mediation. We are available to serve as neutral mediators in private, closed-door student-student or student-faculty conflict-resolution sessions. But we're also here to help you in much less formal settings. Don't worry that your problems are too small to matter; if something's bothering you, come talk to us about it!

Lunch with physREFS (new!)

Have you wondered how to effectively manage relations with advisors and colleagues? Do you want to learn more about campus resources to help with a difficult situation? Come to the physREFS lunch series this semester (Spring 2018/19), where we'll hold mini-workshops and provide discussion platforms about these topics.

Look out for an email from one of the physREFS to sign up for the free lunch! We are also always available to talk or meet with you at other times through our email physREFS@mit.edu, or by emailing one of us directly. Please don't hesitate to be in touch with any issue, whether big or small.

*If you'd prefer to talk to someone who is not a peer, REFS recommend the following resources:

• Conflict Resolution @ MIT (ConflictResolution@mit.edu, http://studentlife.mit.edu/mediation)
• Office of the Dean for Graduate Education (ODGE@mit.edu, http://odge.mit.edu/about)
• Ombuds Office (http://web.mit.edu/ombud)