Your survival guide for syllabus week at ISU

School is back, and whether you are new or returning to Iowa State, you need to remember some things for syllabus week.

It’s not just a week to party

While syllabus week is obviously less rigorous for most students, it still does not mean you need to party 24/7, even though it is fun. It’s obviously nice to have a few days during the week to just relax and have fun before the more difficult course work begins, but that doesn’t make partying 24/7 the best thing to do. Also, having a constant hangover while you’re trying to get acquainted with new material, especially if you’re a freshman, is difficult.

Get some rest

All college students are tired, it’s just a fact of life. However, limiting your partying the first week can make your semester is a lot easier to begin with. You’re going to lose sleep throughout the semester and struggle to catch up on the weekends, but taking advantage of the relatively light homework loads that first week is critical. Along with rest being beneficial for your own health, it will also save you from worried phone calls and texts from your parents. Do yourself a favor and get some rest, so you can all have some peace of mind.

Not every major coasts through the week

From personal experience, I have never had a complete, relaxed syllabus week. It is not always fun and games, and many majors dump homework on you immediately. If you fall behind the first week, it’s going to be a struggle to keep up the rest of the semester. The further along in school you get, the more demanding syllabus week gets, so be prepared.

Actually read the syllabus

This is not high school, folks. Remember those silly pieces of paper that your high school teacher used to send home with you to get signed by your parents, so they knew you at least looked at the syllabus? Actually reading the syllabus is vitally important in college. That sheet of paper is crucial to your survival, and will act like a lifeline when you feel in over your head come midterms and finals.

Show up to class

These classes may not seem important, but I have found that actually going to class syllabus week helps to prepare you for the rest of the semester. In some classes, you may not have a lot of work to do, but it’s good to get familiarized with deadlines, expectations and your classmates. While you may never see some of your classmates again after the semester, it’s always good to have one or two people in every class that you can rely on to study with and give you notes if you miss class.

Buy a planner and use it

College is not even comparable to high school when it comes to the amount of organization you need to survive. I personally would not survive without my planner. In fact, I actually have two of them. Reminders and calendar dates on your phone and computer work well, but writing everything down and having ample space to do so makes life easier. Along with that, you never have to worry about your planner being stolen because let’s be real, no one else cares what homework you have due tomorrow.

Work ahead

If you have the opportunity to work ahead and get on top of your schoolwork when you still have a relatively low amount of work to do, do it. Making sure you don’t fall behind is critical and it will definitely make your life easier. Working ahead could save you an all-nighter further along in the semester. As said above, getting ahead on your work and getting proper amounts of sleep will also save you from your parents pestering you about how much rest you may or may not be getting.

Both syllabus weeks are by far the easiest weeks you’ll have every year, but it’s important to stay on top of things. It may sound corny, but having a good syllabus week is vital to how your semester will go. It’s always good to have fun, but having fun and starting the semester off right is an important balance.