Campus map and finding rooms
The campus can be confusing. Building numbers don't make sense, but everyone uses them. Look at the map to get a feel for thing. You can also search the map for specific rooms, e.g. 9-057.
Finding phone numbers
Use the MIT Directory Search. There's also a FireFox Search Plugin for this.
Facilities (Engineering vs Sloan):
Sloan has much newer, “cushier” facilities than Engineering does. This has mostly to do with the image Sloan wants to project and the resulting funding priorities. The overall MIT philosophy on facilities is to spend as little as possible on maintenance, so the conditions are allowed deteriorate until they begin to "interfere with the educational experience." And sometimes they do not observe this limit all that well.
Locations of useful things
ATMs: Bank of America is the most common, and it's NYCE and CIRRUS-capable. Kendall Square has a couple, two on the Infinite Corridor (main campus), and two in the student center.
Fax: the SDM student center has one, there are bunch of local copy shops most of which will handle faxes in case the student fax is hosed.
Campus maps: Professor Pathfinder maps (sold all over, definitely in Coop) are very good for out-of-towners as it shows the location of businesses, restaurants, etc and has a matching index on the back. AAA Boston is also good; it shows 1-way streets (there are plenty), and has good detail for the MIT campus which is useful when driving around this bizarre campus. Maps of the campus buildings are on-line and in the SDM welcome packet. The Graduate Student Council (GSC) also has a great mini-map, small black and white cardboard that quad-folds.
Copy Tech
Copy Tech: There are 3 branch offices of CopyTech. The Main Campus branch is located in 11-004 (2532806), The East Campus branch is in E52-045 (253-5203), and CopyTech Express is in the Stratton Student Center (W20) – First Floor (258-0859). Main & east campus branches are also also where you get your course readers.
Stuff Useful Only While On-Campus
Outside lectures: One of the real benefits to being on campus is being able attend the frequent lectures on all sorts of subjects, assuming you can make time between classes and classwork. The best place to find out about them is the local papers.
\"News@Sloan\" comes out every Monday. You will get an electronic copy and printouts are also availabe in the E52 lobby and sometimes in the SDM area.
\"The Tech\" and \"Tech Talk\" come out Monday-Friday on alternate days. They list lectures up to two weeks in advance; sometimes the room changes at the last minute, so beware. For ones that you expect to be popular, go early because there will probably be a serious crowd. Occasionally they move times and/or rooms so keep your eyes and ears open.
Be aware of your surroundings:
Find out about MIT provided rides before you need one in the middle of the night. Cambridge and Boston are no different than any other big cities. Stuff happens. Be alert.
Distance students also have to think about their surroundings. For many people it is easiest to work in their offices (access to printers, copiers, and high speed web access are just a few of the many reasons). How safe is it in your office area when everyone else is (long) gone? Crime isn’t the only aspect to personal safety and security. Wildlife in rural areas can be a hazard. Choking on the sandwich that was going to be your dinner and is now your midnight snack is a possibility.