Syllabus Week
Happy End of Syllabus Week, everyone! Now that it’s the spring semester of 2024, everyone here has experienced at least one syllabus week. Now, what is syllabus week? That’s a fair question. Well, syllabus week is the first week of the semester when you’re getting used to where your classes are, your professors – new or familiar – are handing out syllabi, and class time is dedicated to going over expectations for the upcoming semester instead of actually doing any “schoolwork” yet.
Syllabus week is fun, at least in my opinion, but it can also be stressful. First, you’re getting a ton of information thrown at you. And if you’re anything like me, you realize that you need to plan. For everything. That paper that’s due in three and a half months? It’s going in my planner. I might even create a document for it in my Google Drive just so it’s there when I need it...in three and a half months. Plus, it can be overwhelming just to take in the number of assignments that you’re going to end up doing this semester.
Intellectually, we all know that these things are spaced out, that finals week will creep up on us eventually, and that the world won’t end in between (unless, of course, Jesus comes back before then). But during syllabus week, us college students exist in a weird in-between state of anticipation, boredom, and even a little bit of stress.
For example, I had two classes on Monday. Both are probably going to be challenging eventually, but all I had at the end of day one was two syllabi. I got back to my dorm room after eating lunch and practicing organ, and was like, “well, what am I supposed to do with myself now?” The snow was still falling steadily, so I couldn’t go anywhere, and I didn’t have any homework or even chores to do. I ended up reading a book called Daisy Jones and the Six for a few hours, then watched a movie with my friends.
I think what’s most stressful about syllabus week is that you have a lot of information about your classes but nothing to do. You’re anticipating the semester ahead, but some of your classes might not be open on Blackboard, you might still be waiting to attend a class for the first time, and you probably don’t even need to read the first chapter of your textbook yet. So really, just like finals week, syllabus week is another transition time in the semester that can leave you feeling ready for a change.
Of course, we all know that syllabus week will end eventually. Whether you enjoy the week or not, it can be a good time to build up some energy for the beginning of the new semester. With classes happening but not quite displaying their full rigor yet, it’s a good time to get used to how your new schedule feels. Plus, if you don’t like the feel of that schedule, syllabus week is the time when you can drop or add classes without any penalty.
I’ve kind of learned to enjoy syllabus week. It’s pretty quiet, and although it is a lot different from the rest of the semester, it reminds me that I’m grateful for another semester at Concordia, where I can study the topics I love in a fun, caring, and Christ-centered environment.
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