Getting Help

Table of Contents

1) Who (and how) Should I Ask For Help?

6.200 is a challenging class, and it is totally normal to need help at various points as you're working through the material. And we are happy to help you as questions come up! Please follow the guidelines on this page when asking for help (and note that the best way to get help depends on the kind of question you have).

1.1) In-person Help

For technical questions (about course content or tech support), the best way to get help is usually by talking with another person one-on-one. In 6.200, the best way to get in-person help is at instructor office hours or open lab hours. Both of these are times to come and get help from course staff on problem sets, and/or on any conceptual questions you may have. They are a good time to get help with planning out your approach to a problem, help with solving a circuit, and help with debugging when things go wrong.

In addition, the open lab hours in 38-530 can also be used for completing lab work and receiving lab checkoffs outside of your normal lab section.

The schedules for office hours and open lab hours are listed on the basic information page.

1.2) Help via E-mail

Of course, though, not all questions or requests are best handled by staff in person. Some questions come up outside of normal class hours, some are about personal situations that you may not wish to discuss publicly, or so on. For these kinds of questions and requests, we also offer ways to get help via e-mail.

Unless you have good reason to send e-mail to an individual staff member, please use the following e-mail lists instead. Using these lists helps us keep things organized and get help to as many of you as possible, as efficiently as possible.

• 6.200-help@mit.edu is for general technical or logistical help (about course content, tech support, etc.). Examples of good topics to send to this list include:

  • I'm confused about (some course policy or content)...
  • In this week's pset, can someone clarify (some unclear instructions)...
  • I can't find (some 6.200-related resource)...
  • I'm concerned about my performance in 6.200 or my understanding of the course material...

  If your question(s) involve work you've done for a 6.200 assignment (or detailed plans for work you plan to do), please do not use this list but rather come to the open lab hours described above, as that is by far a more effective and efficient way to get detailed help and feedback about your work. Of course, you can try sending an e-mail and attaching your work, but debugging via e-mail is generally very inefficient compared to in-person help, and we can't guarantee we'll be able to provide detailed help via the mailing list.

• 6.200-personal@mit.edu, which reaches just the instructors (so no fellow students serving as teaching assistants), is for sensitive requests that involve personal or medical situations. If you've spoken to a Dean at S³ or DAS about the issue, please feel free to CC them. Some examples of topics that are relevant for this list include:

  • I've been really sick, and I'm falling behind in the class...
  • I have a conflict on the day of a recitation...
  • A personal or medical issue has come up and I am requesting an additional extension on an assignment...
  • I have a disability and require accommodations in 6.200...
  • I'm feeling overwhelmed and want to talk to someone on staff...

2) Additional Tutoring

Additional technical help may also be obtained from external resources, in the form of tutoring services.

HKN offers one-on-one peer assistance in many basic undergraduate Course VI classes. During the first nine weeks of the term, you may request a tutor who will meet with you for a few hours a week to aid in your understanding of course material. You and your tutor arrange the hours that you meet, for your mutual convenience. This is a free service. More information is available on the HKN web page.

Additional support may also be available through the Talented Scholars Resource Room (TSR²), sponsored by the Office of Minority Education. For further information, go to this page.

3) Equal Access and Accommodations

The staff of 6.200 are committed to the principle of equal access, and we are more than willing to make arrangements to help accommodate students with disabilities or other challenges. In general, knowing about the kind of help you need earlier in the semester means that we'll be better prepared to provide that help effectively. So please help us out by letting us know about your situation (and, if appropriate, meeting with a representative from Disability and Access Services) as soon as possible.

If you have a disability and are not planning to use accommodations, it is still recommended that you meet with DAS staff to familiarize yourself with their services and resources. If you have been approved for accommodations, 6.200 staff are ready to assist with implementation. Please send these approved requests to the 6.200-personal@mit.edu email address to inform us, and we will work to implement these accommodations.

4) Mental Health

MIT is a challenging environment, and 6.200 is a challenging course. As such, it is normal to expect some level of stress (and a lot of hard work) during 6.200. A certain level of stress is healthy and is part of the learning process (if it were easy, you probably wouldn't be learning much!). However, too much stress can be a bad thing, and if you are feeling overwhelmed, we want to help, so please don't hesitate to reach out.

Additionally, if you or someone you know is struggling with mental-health issues (including significant stress, mood changes, excessive worry, substance/alcohol abuse, or problems with eating or sleeping), we strongly encourage you to contact or visit one or more of the following resources, who may be able to provide additional guidance and support:

• Student Support Services
• MIT Medical: Student Mental Health and Counseling