Finding Help Right Now
It's the middle of the night. You and your classmates are busy working but MIT's offices are closed. Something's going wrong. What can you do?
Don't panic: help is available 24/7. Here's where to find it, in two categories:
Personal Support
MIT is an intense environment. Stress can build up to a point where you feel like you can't take any more. That's the point at which you need to talk with someone else. Sometimes you just need to dump your feelings on a friend. But friends are busy, too, and often dealing with their own stress.
Even at 3 a.m. you can:
- Knock on the door of your GRT or Housemaster in a dorm, or RA in an FSILG.
- Call MIT Medical, 617-253-4481, to speak with a mental health counselor or get urgent medical advice.
- In an emergency, call the MIT Police, 617-253-1212 (call 100 from campus phones). They will provide the help you need, and contact the Dean-on-Call for follow-up.
- For more listings, check the Division of Student Life's Get Support page and Together@MIT.
- If you're just having trouble falling asleep, check out Medical's extensive online resources. Call the Relaxation Line at 617-253-2256 (CALM) for a three-minute guided exercise.
Some problems feel gigantic in the middle of the night, especially if you're sleep-deprived. Take a deep breath and evaluate whether you need an immediate solution or can wait until the morning. If you can wait, use the Help from MIT Resources page to find what you need.
Academic Support
The Center for Academic Excellence site offers many short articles addressing common questions and challenges, including:
- using sources in papers
- balancing competing time commitments
- taking effective notes
- test anxiety
- finding tutoring.
Also see the main headings for more articles. A quick read may help you move forward enough for one night.
Other online resources include:
- The Writing and Communication Center offers online advice for each step of writing a paper, from understanding the assignment through drafting and editing to avoiding plagiarism. It also offers resources for preparing an oral presentation.
- The MIT Libraries website offers research guides, class guides, datasets, and a Virtual Reference Collection. You can also pose a question through the Ask Us link that will be answered the next business day.
For information on resources available during business hours, see Help from MIT Resources.
