Syllabus Week

As I look from my window on the 2^nd floor of Florence Schneider Hall, I can see dozens of students trekking up the hill. Classes are finally back in full swing, Java (the campus coffee shop) has a line out the door, and campus is alive again. For most college students, the first week of classes is pretty easy. “Syllabus Week,” as they call it, is supposed to be a time to get back into the hang of things before the real work begins. But for Gatton students, I think the first week back can be a little more stressful.

The juniors are just beginning to acclimate to their new home; after a week of meetings, activities and getting to know Florence Schneider Hall, they’re set loose on campus and thrown into classes. The first days in a computer science, calculus, or biology class can be a little panic-inducing, but the nerves will settle after the first round of homework assignments, quizzes, and tests. The juniors are beginning to develop routines, discover favorite study spaces, and realize that there are more restaurants on campus than Panda Express and Chick-fil-a.

For the seniors, the return to campus is familiar and, for some, bittersweet. The first week of classes marks the beginning of our “last firsts” as high schoolers. For some of us, it will be our last year on WKU’s campus, though some of us will be back in the fall. Rather than worrying about CS or finding the way to our classes, the senior class is panicking about college applications. Where to apply, how many schools to apply to, who to ask for letters of recommendation are all questions that swirl around with the calculus equations and chemistry formulas that have been etched into our brains. It’s an exciting time, filled with the possibility of the coming 2 or 4 years as an undergraduate, but the combination of college applications and a full college course load can a cause more than a few late-night freak-outs in anticipation of the unknown. Learning how to balance everything on our plate will take time, but just as “our seniors” were able to check off all the boxes on their to-do list, we’ll learn to do the same.

The first week of classes can be a stressful time for both juniors and seniors, but it’s good to remember to take time to enjoy the quiet part of the semester before midterms and finals week hit hard. Going to Preston to play Wallyball or Basketball, walking downtown to visit Spenser’s, a local coffee shop, or having a group dinner at Thai Express or Mariah’s are popular ways to fill the coveted downtime of the first few weeks of the semester. Whether it’s your first-first week of classes on campus or your last, it’s great to take pause and enjoy the opportunities that the new semester brings.

 

Sydney