Frequently Asked Questions

What are InTouch Coffee Hours for?

Our coffee chats are for building community across all of SEAS, and in this sense they’re similar to department or lab happy hours, except that you’ll meet students from all across SEAS. We also host coffee chats as a dedicated place where you can seek advice on life as a graduate student. For exampe, G1s ask about what is a reasonable course load, G4s ask senior graduate students about how to talk about graduating with their advisors, etc. We share tips on finding off-campus housing and discount codes for rental cars. It’s a place for identifying, normalizing, and helping each other through the ups and the downs of life as a graduate student. If you prefer to chat privately, email us!

How does InTouch interact with other support services across Harvard?

As a student-led organization, we are a bridge between students and the vast network of resources available at Harvard. Sometimes, you might not know where to start, precisely because there are so many different resources that are publicized. Or there may be unspoken rules about specific processes that are not written down anywhere (this is unfortunately often the case in academia). We help you filter through the possibilities, offer shortcuts that we’ve learned the hard way, and guide you on your own path to success. We also meet with SEAS administrators on a regular basis to raise concerns and advocate for students’ well-being.

Is my problem too small, too big, or too ambiguous to bring to InTouch?

No! We are happy to talk about anything that’s on your mind, regardless of how “big” or “small” it may be. Especially if you have a concern that you don’t know who to reach out to, you are welcome to start with us. We’re here to listen, provide advice when it is welcome, and point you to resources across Harvard that you may find helpful.

What do InTouch peers offer that I can’t get from other people or organizations?

We are peers who share similar contexts as you. We’re non-judgmental, private, and discreet. We are an entirely student-led organization and have students’ best interests in mind.

What does InTouch do beside coffee hours and private chats?

We have a subcommittee collaborating with SEAS-GC and the admin to make transitional funding more widely available to students considering switching advisors. We are planning a Fall 2023 panel on the topic of the G3 blues in collaborating with the ARC. We have so many other ideas, and we need YOU to join us to change the culture in grad school!

Thanks to MIT’s archREFS for inspiration for our FAQs.