What happened to taking it slow during the first week of classes?
Before I stepped onto Wake Forest’s campus for my very first semester of college this past fall, I heard exciting rumors about the first week of classes. These introductory days are often referred to as Syllabus Week or “Sylly Week.”
In my experience, however, Sylly Week has provided me with lengthy assignments and even some quizzes, and I’m not even sure if these classes are for me yet! As its name suggests, Sylly Week is known for being surface-level and laidback, with endless icebreakers and little homework. In fact, my very first Sylly Week last August reflected this praised reputation. However, despite the week’s carefree allure, my first week of classes in January was anything but silly. With pages and pages of reading for each of my five classes, what should have been a calm transition into the spring semester became a week full of stress and skimming.
Many of my fellow freshmen agree that Sylly Week can feel overwhelming.
“The amount of work I had last week was very intimidating,” freshman Issie Gunther said. “While Syllabus Week is supposed to be a week of introducing students to the new class material, my week was full of long assignments that definitely didn’t help ease me into the new semester.”
Freshman Anna Bolden was also surprised by the fast pace of the first week.
“Based on what I had previously heard about Wake Forest and other colleges, Sylly Week is supposed to give you a chance to get to know the people in your classes and have more fun,” Bolden said. “In my experience, however, Sylly Week has provided me with lengthy assignments and even some quizzes, and I’m not even sure if these classes are for me yet!”
Like Gunther and Bolden, the first week of classes forced me into a rapid, anxious transition to the new semester. With roughly 20 to 30 pages of reading for each of my five courses, I longed for a moment of free time in the face of unfamiliar first-week chaos.
An additional element of stress comes from the fact that many courses require students to read the syllabus before their first class meeting to make room for additional assignments later in the week.
Freshman Jamie Schefrin said she would appreciate more time to process class expectations.
“I feel like knowing the syllabus has become a requirement for the very first day of the semester,” Schefrin said. “Instead of taking the first few classes to really understand course material and requirements, I find myself needing to prepare everything before the semester even starts.”
In reality, the first week of classes is no longer “Sylly Week.” What used to be a relaxed first few classes where students grew more familiar with each other and their new courses has become just another week in a semester full of assignments.
