The Spectrum

Issue date: 1/26/06 Section: News

Media Credit: The first week of school can be quite overwheliming when you see how much work is expected from you. The first week of school can be quite overwheliming when you see how much work is expected from you.

It's back to classes, syllabi, and meal plans, but most importantly, college students agree that it's back to spending time with old college friends.

"I'm happy to start another semester. I missed the excitement of being on campus and seeing my suitemates," said Victoria Walter, sophomore, East Northport, N.Y.

Nuno Santos, a graduate student from Bridgeport, said, "I missed friends, just people who live out of state. We don't get to see them during the holidays which is a time you spend with your friends and family."

Despite the fact that most students are glad to be back, it's normal to be a bit lazy after the long break without schoolwork to worry about.

"I definitely tend to be lazier the first week of the semester. You just want to catch up with everyone to see what they did for the holidays. You don't want to think about the semester yet [but] I [also] feel re-energized from the long break," said Santos.

The first week of the semester, also known as 'syllabus week,' is a time to become readapted to the balancing of schedules that has been made a bit easier by some professors.

Many students have had professors dismissing classes early and not giving any homework during syllabus week.

Jessica Hartley, sophomore, Westerly, R.I., who was dismissed early from 2 out 4 classes this far, was "happy to leave early" as most students would be.

On the other hand, students such as Santos had no early dismissals but had "no homework so far" either.

Students such as Kristen D'Almeida, sophomore, Cumberland, R.I., were assigned homework by the professor of all of her five classes and was dismissed early from only one of them.

Generally, professors seem to take on syllabus week a bit differently. However, despite some leniencies, students know that they still mean business.

In fact, students such as D'Almeida, Hartley, and Walter had professors already warning them that his/her "class would be hardest of the semester."

"I felt like dropping the class for about a second but then I just got over it," said Hartley.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools