Where to Go for Help

Life as a student can be great, but at times it might get hard  At some point you might find yourself in a situation where you feel you need help, whether for personal problems or for problems that you might experience in the department or with your supervisor.  It is important  that you reach out for this help as soon as possible, before things get worse! There are many resources at McGill available to assist you, which shows you that it's not only you who needs help, but many students other students too. So, don't hesitate to contact these resources when you feel something is not right.

These services are all confidential and free, so talking to them can't make anything worse, only better. You might not know where you should go for a specific problem, so this is a general overview.  However,  be assured that  even if you do not go to the "right" place in the beginning, they will assist you and direct you to the appropriate resource for your problem.

For problems with your supervisor or a professor or TA, or if you feel  you've been treated unfair in an exam or course, go and see the Ombudsperson.  A meeting is confidential, and they will help you by informing you about your rights and possible ways to solve the problem.  For general problems, personal as well as academic, the Counselling Service is there to help you feel better. If you feel that you've been sexually harassed, contact the Sexual Harassment Office (contact information can be found on their website). And also if you just want to find out more about sexual harassment, look at the website of the  for more information. For the specific problems of international students (e.g. questions about immigration, health insurance or tax procedures), the international student service is the right office to ask. If you are afraid on campus at night, check out the website of McGill Security Services, which has links to the Walksafe service and a map of recommended night routes.

CAOS hopes that you will make use of these resources if you get into a situation where you  need them, and it might be a good idea to just look at these websites so that you get a better idea what kind of help they offer and how you could benefit from it.  You are paying for all these resources with you tuition, so it's your right to use them!