Well, I have officially completed my LAST first week of classes: 'Syllabus Week.' To those of you underclassman or high-schoolers out there, you can learn a lot about how your semester is going to pan out by your very first day(s) of class. In my infinite wisdom as a last semester senior, I have compiled a list of telltale signs that a class just isn't worth it and that you should DROP IT (And, no, I have never dropped even one class. I ignored the signs. Learn from my mistakes).
Syllabus week indicators that you need to drop a class:
1). It's at 8am (mornings are my enemy and always will be).
2). The professor assigns homework before the first day (this professor will be likely to assign research papers over Spring Break, tests on Unofficial St. Patrick's Day (for my Illini-readers), and 'fun' mandatory extras like movie or play viewings. Do you want to spend your Spring Break lying on a beach, sipping a margarita and reading my blog? Or do you want to write 10 pages on the love-hate relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine in Wuthering Heights? Just drop the class).
3). The professor plans to take attendance in lecture. This is some sort of oxymoron.
4). You are even mildly attracted to your lab partner (my roommate assures me: you will run into him at the Delta Tau Delta house, you will act upon your mild attraction and you will feel awkward while sharing a microscope for the next 3 1/2 months).
5). It's more than a 15-minute walk away (unless you are reading this from California: too cold, too wet, too windy).
6). The professor insists on 'jumping into the material' on the first day. It is called Syllabus Week for a reason. She is supposed to hand you the syllabus, give a 15-minute explanation of class rules/expectations and then let students return to their unmade beds. Any professor that does not respect this unspoken rule will absolutely assign that research paper over Spring Break. Do you want your beach-margarita or not?
7). A more fun alternative exists (and will still allow you to graduate). I currently know people taking everything from hip hop to natural disasters to canoe-ing. Why take Mechanical Engineering 411 (Vicious Flow and Heat Transfer) when Flower-arranging is a viable option?
If you have attended your first week and managed to avoid these 7 negative indicators, your semester is off to a good start! Now you just need to find a way to sneakily check your facebook, textsfromlastnight, and YouTube not only in your big lecture halls, but also those small discussion sections. Happy websurfing!
Syllabus week indicators that you need to drop a class:
1). It's at 8am (mornings are my enemy and always will be).
2). The professor assigns homework before the first day (this professor will be likely to assign research papers over Spring Break, tests on Unofficial St. Patrick's Day (for my Illini-readers), and 'fun' mandatory extras like movie or play viewings. Do you want to spend your Spring Break lying on a beach, sipping a margarita and reading my blog? Or do you want to write 10 pages on the love-hate relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine in Wuthering Heights? Just drop the class).
3). The professor plans to take attendance in lecture. This is some sort of oxymoron.
4). You are even mildly attracted to your lab partner (my roommate assures me: you will run into him at the Delta Tau Delta house, you will act upon your mild attraction and you will feel awkward while sharing a microscope for the next 3 1/2 months).
5). It's more than a 15-minute walk away (unless you are reading this from California: too cold, too wet, too windy).
6). The professor insists on 'jumping into the material' on the first day. It is called Syllabus Week for a reason. She is supposed to hand you the syllabus, give a 15-minute explanation of class rules/expectations and then let students return to their unmade beds. Any professor that does not respect this unspoken rule will absolutely assign that research paper over Spring Break. Do you want your beach-margarita or not?
7). A more fun alternative exists (and will still allow you to graduate). I currently know people taking everything from hip hop to natural disasters to canoe-ing. Why take Mechanical Engineering 411 (Vicious Flow and Heat Transfer) when Flower-arranging is a viable option?
If you have attended your first week and managed to avoid these 7 negative indicators, your semester is off to a good start! Now you just need to find a way to sneakily check your facebook, textsfromlastnight, and YouTube not only in your big lecture halls, but also those small discussion sections. Happy websurfing!
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