Syllabus Week: Expectations vs Reality

Article written with help from Marianne Ngo

The first week of classes is always an exciting time of the year. You are reunited with your friends and the college campus you love. Syllabus week is known to be relaxing, and an adjustment period for the first week of school. However, it seems that not all professors believe in a calm and slow start to the year. Many professors like to jump right into course material during a class’s first meeting! Here are some expectations of syllabus week followed by the reality of the start of the semester.

1. Expectation: The teacher saying you won’t need the textbooks until next week or you won’t need the books at all. Reality: They already assigned readings and expected you to have all the books for the first class.

1. Expectation: You won’t have to pay full price for textbooks and will be able to rent all of them. Reality: Surprise!! There are access codes and you have to buy a new book for it.

1. Expectation: You can relax because it’s syllabus week and you won’t be getting homework yet. Reality: Read chapter 1 and there will be a quiz on it next class.

1. Expectation: You will just review the syllabus for 20 minutes and then leave.

   Reality: The teacher starts the lecture on Chapter 1 and 2 and you stay the whole class.

1. Expectation: You don’t have to visit the library the first week of classes.

   Reality: Instructions for the first assignment has already been explained and is due the next class.

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• Bentley University
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• reality
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• syllabus week
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