It’s syllabus week at Amherst College. Even though I am a senior, I never get tired of syllabus week. Syllabus week, for those who don’t know, is the first week of classes where professors are expected to only hand out and go over their syllabus. Although some professors stray from the norm and teach on the first day, making their students stay the full allotted time, it is a general consensus that once the syllabus has been explained, students are free to leave. Although most people would say they love syllabus week because of the lack of homework, lack of teaching, and abundance of time to party, I would propose some different ideas as to why syllabus week is the best.

Syllabus week gives you time to shop classes, actually read the syllabus (shocker I know) to see what is expected of you in class, and what assignments you will have to do. It is a brief overview into what your semester will look like. Without this overview, you might have to suffer through a full 90 minutes of lecture of a class you hate (yeah 90 minutes might not seem like a long time but there is definitely more important things that could be done).

More importantly, in the fall, syllabus week occurs after three months of summer vacation. During the summer, students try their best to avoid conversation topics about school and relax as much as possible (when we are not busting our butts at work and internships). Therefore, my brain would not be able to comprehend the complex topics of classes on the first day back. Like a 1999 desktop, I need time to warm up before I can dive into all that is needed of me. I am still trying to get my sleep schedule in order, adjusting back to campus life, and catching up with friends I have not seen all summer. This is the time to get your last minute “goofs” in before you have to buckle down and get serious about classes. It seems to me that if I did not have syllabus week I would not be able to get my life together.

Syllabus week may seem like a waste of time or better yet an excuse to slack off on work and party but it does have its advantages. It gives you a time to reflect, relax, and prepare for the grueling and yet regarding semester ahead. And if you’re a senior like I am, then you only have one more chance to make the most of syllabus week before we graduate.