Summer is coming to an end which means that syllabus week is quickly approaching! If you are either a freshman, returning student, or an exchange student preparing for your first week of school can be a little overwhelming! It’s totally understandable if you’re feeling nervous because it’s the week you figure out all the dates of all your midterms, assignments, presentations, and finals. You’re probably thinking “What do I do if I have three finals in one day?”, “Are my friends in my classes?”, and “It’s a lonely world out here; we’re not in Kansas anymore”. Here are a few important tips you should know about to get you through the week and right back into the school groove!
1) Check Blackboard and Your Emails
Blackboard is where your professors will send you announcements and reminders, as well as post grades. For that reason, keeping your eye out for new messages is important! A third year Psychology major remembers that their Introduction to Psychology class was cancelled on the first day of school and was glad that they checked their email first thing in the morning. Consider blackboard and your UWindsor email account your new BFFs. Tip: download the myUWindsor app on your cellphone for quick access to course information, messages, events, finances, and more.
2) Go To Your Program’s Orientation Day
Your program may have a mandatory orientation day. Use this opportunity as a chance to mingle with students in your program, play fun icebreaker games, learn about the program, and meet the undergraduate coordinators of the program. When a fourth year Social Work student reflected on their first orientation day they said “I met a lot of friends at orientation day. I also found out that you have to reapply into the Social Work program in second year [for third year]”. Attending the orientation is a great way to interact with students and learn new and important information.
3) Attend Syllabus Week
Going to the first class is a major key to success as professors provide you with a little bit of information about themselves, their expectations of you as a student, and the outline of the course. Don’t fool yourselves – professors begin to go in-depth with their lectures – and it will be harder to catch up when falling behind, so get ahead while you can!
4) Note All Important Dates
Making a list of all the important dates in the semester is a great way to get organized and get the ball rolling. The days you have midterms, quizzes, finals, assignments, and presentations are essential to remember so that you don’t get blindsided by a due date. Tip: if you have three final exams in one day, you can get one exam moved! Additionally, check out the forms and applications page to learn about how to apply for an alternative final exam due to a religious holiday, to learn more about grade appeals, and to learn what to do when requesting an enrolment certificate.
5) Talk To Your Professors
Introducing yourself to your professors lays down the groundwork for some great chances to network later in the semester. Something as simple as saying “Hi” can set you aside from other students. Interacting with professors frequently is a great way to make yourself stand out and is a good way for them to get to know you and your academic passions. If needed, the professors would be able to write a strong recommendation letter for you should you apply to graduate school. Tip: at first if you don’t know what to talk about, ask your professors questions about themselves. In this way, you are able to learn about their personal and scholarly interests.
6) Wait Until The First Week To Buy Textbooks
During syllabus week, professors will clarify whether or not the recommended textbook edition is necessary as opposed to previous editions. If that is the case, you can join the University of Windsor Online Bookstore on Facebook and make a post about the books you are inquiring to purchase. The prices students usually set are lower than used books at the bookstore! Tip: if you want a new book at a lower price, the University of Windsor Bookstore price matches with Amazon. Just be sure to bring in a picture of the sale price from the online source!
7) Have Fun!
Let’s face it, your first week of school will be your least stressful week of school – but the rest of the school year can still be fun! Not to mention that there will be many events that will take place on campus throughout the year. In the past years during syllabus week the university hosted some fun on-site campus activities such as a jumping castle with blowup slides, a free BBQ lunch, and more activities under the welcome tent.
Now that you have some helpful tips, put them to use and carpe diem… I mean seize the week!