For most, the ending of winter break is an absolute tragedy. The new semester is beginning which means homework, studying, tests, stress, agony, all negative things really. In college though, there is this thing called Syllabus Week. Syllabus Week is the first week of school and it is basically dedicated to pretending that you’re still on break and partying on every school night. This is a thing because it is said that the first week of classes are, “a major blow off.” All you really do is play the name game and go over the syllabus.
Well for starters I’d like to know if a majority of the college kids around here truly experience this carefree week of fun because as a junior I can honestly say that I have never experienced such a luxury. I have heard all about it, but never have I ever had the entire first week to just party like there’s no tomorrow. Or in this case, like there’s no work to be done tomorrow.
Every year I have hoped that my workload would begin to pile up during the second week of school and I start the semester off expecting to partake in Syllabus Week shenanigans. Your expectations versus your actual reality can really be a kicker can’t it?
1. Expectation: My hour and a half class will only be twenty minutes because what could we possibly talk about for that long on the first day?
Reality: Professor unkindly lets you know that the class will never be done early. Today, or any other day of the year.
2. Expectation: There will be no homework or tests for a week or two. I mean, we JUST started, right?
Reality: Professor gives a pre-test, wants you to read half of the textbook in two days, and schedules a post-test for the end of the week. Oh okay.
3. Expectation: I’m going to hit up every party I hear about this week.
Reality: You end up at the library every night of the week and then head home to re-watch Grey’s Anatomy while eating frozen pizza.
4. Expectation: I can hold off a little on buying textbooks because there won’t be much reading assigned this week anyways.
Reality: You already have five chapters of reading assigned in four different books so now you have to go return all that useless stuff you bought at Target to pay for these d@mn books.
5. Expectation: The syllabus will take the entire class session to go over so I can just chill on Pinterest the whole time.
Reality: The syllabus takes ten minutes max to go over if the teacher even goes over it in the first place. Now your Pins have to wait since you actually have to pay attention, sigh.
Well, here’s to hoping that all of these expectations come true for you all and you have a great first week of classes (or partying). Happy Spring Semester!