There are a lot of reasons why syllabus week is awesome; it’s the first time you’ve been reunited with your friends since break, you get to party every night, and your teachers don’t expect a lot from you. However, one of the major downsides of syllabus week is the cumulative hangover/depression that comes the week after. Here are some tips to help you navigate the harsh reality of post-syllabus week life.
Rehydrate. I’m sure it was not water in those red Solo cups. Therefore, it is important you rehydrate yourself — with water — and electrolytes so that you can resume being a fully functioning member of society. Everybody swears by their own secret: Gatorade, coconut water, Pedialyte, banana smoothies, green tea, just to name a few. A great way to waste a half hour of your life is to type “hangover cures” into Google and let the crazy/stupid/sometimes-useful information just shower over you. Also, don’t let WebMD convince you that you’re dying because you’re not – you’re just a hungover slob.
Call your parents. They are probably worried about you and how you’re faring after syllabus week. Give them a call to assure them that you’re a) alive and b) everything’s fine and c) that those syllabus week pictures they saw you tagged in on Facebook are NOT an indication of how the rest of the semester is going to go. Also, remember to thank them profusely for the extra case of Gatorade they insisted you bring.
Untag yourself. Your phone has probably been buzzing a lot lately with notifications, telling you about the pictures in which you’ve been recently tagged. Go and do some damage control because, spoiler alert, not all of these are going to be gems. It’s also likely that your future employers are not going to find that picture of you gargoyle-ing a keg while wearing a sombrero as funny as your friends do. Syllabus week is known for yielding fun, memorable pictures, but remember that doesn’t mean the Internet has to catalogue every single one.
Reread your syllabi. Take a few minutes to reread the handouts your teachers gave you during the first days of classes because chances are that for some or all of your classes, you were possibly asleep and/or still drunk. Whip out those highlighter pens and look over the course requirements. If you want to underline and star the attendance policy, we won’t judge you.
Go to the gym. Even if you’re not a big workout person, there is a lot to be said about working out after syllabus week. Not only is it a healthy way to get some endorphins flowing to help you deal with the sad reality of syllabus week being over, but it’s also a great way to sweat out the residual alcohol in your system. Even if you don’t feel like going hard at the gym, just going for a walk and enjoying the fresh air is probably something your body needs.
Wash your sheets. Just do it.
Find a first aid kit and treat those syllabus week wounds. Syllabus week is not particularly known for great decisions or graceful moments, so it’s quite likely you collected a few injuries throughout the week. Twisted an ankle walking in heels? Took a tumble on the way to the townhouses and skinned your knee? Burned your hand making a drunk pizza for you and the random people in your house? It may not have seemed important at the time, but don’t let small, stupid injuries turn into actual problems.
Organize your stuff. Odds are that when you first got back to school, you didn’t unpack everything. Life, as well as that text inviting you to go day-drink, probably got in the way. Take some time to reorganize your things and arrange your room the way you want to have it for the rest of the semester. Pick up those almost-outfits off of the floor, throw out those pizza boxes, untangle those necklaces and confirm that those plastic water bottles on your desk are filled with water and not something else.
Sleep. A very important distinction needs to be made between passing out and sleeping — they are not the same thing. Just because you may have lacked consciousness for a few hours every night throughout syllabus week does not mean you were actually getting rest. Sleep is critical to health, attentiveness and overall happiness, so turn off your phone a few hours early, change into your coziest pair of sweatpants and get some shuteye.