Resources for Improving Your Performance

Nearly every MIT student experiences some degree of academic difficulty at some point. When this happens to you, don't get caught in feelings of embarrassment, shame, or guilt, and don't try to solve your problems alone. Seek help!

MIT offers many resources and people who can help you identify and overcome your particular problems:

• Start with the MIT Center for Academic Excellence (ACADEX),a virtual space designed to provide you with the tools and resources required to succeed as a student at MIT.
  
  
• Consult your TA and/or instructor right away. Go to office hours, speak after class, or email them to make an appointment. They are the experts on how to pass your subject and are waiting to share their knowledge.
  
  
• Tell your advisor what's going on. She or he may be able to help you directly; if not, he or she can point you toward other people and offices who can work on specific situations.
  
  
• Make an appointment with Student Support Services (S3), especially if you are also dealing with health problems, family or relationship issues, or financial stress. The S3 deans can also work with you on issues of time management and possible learning disabilities. They will help you clarify your situation and plan ways to move beyond it. If necessary, they will help with requests for extensions and other adjustments that your instructors may be able to provide.
  
  
• Check the resources linked from the Division of Student Life website. All MIT housing units have live-in staff who are glad to listen to whatever you want to say, and to help you plan strategies to improve your academic achievement. In dorms these are Graduate Resident Tutors and Housemasters; in FSILGs they are Resident Advisors.
  
  
• You can also go directly to MIT Medical for physical illness, personal concerns (Mental Health), and health and wellness resources. Most services are free to MIT students: see the Student Health Plans page for details.

Other resources:

• The Office of Minority Education offers individual consultation as well as several programs in support of academic excellence for members of under-represented groups at MIT (African American, Mexican American, Hispanic/Latino and Native American students).
  
  
• The Tutorial Services Room is a program of the Office of Minority Education open to all students. It offers free individual and group tutoring and files of notes and past exams. A group sessions schedule and an individual appointment request form are online.
  
  
• The Writing and Communication Center provides free professional advice about all types of writing and speaking to all members of the MIT community. You can work with Center staff at any point in the writing process.
  
  
• For any financial question or worry, consult your Account Representative and Financial Aid Officer in Student Financial Services. You can walk in to the Student Services Center in 11-120 or make an appointment.