Oh Syllabus, why have you come and gone so soon? Syllabus week is a week of pure mayhem. Most professors choose not to dive too deeply into class material the first week, because they realize that students are still registering, or dropping classes, and they are not back in school mode yet. This week pretty much saves students and professors unnecessary stress of having to go back and relearn all the information that was taught during the first week while everyone’s brains are not fully functioning.
It is common for student’s to take advantage of this week of little school work by, staying up late, going to the bar, or participating in day drinks or parties. Now, you may be wondering how something so great can leave us in a state of depression, but it is all just fun and games until syllabus week is officially over. Our bodies are then left tired, drained, probably in unhealthy shape, and our brains are probably working with a few less brain cells. You'll be moping to your classes, hoping the professor wasn't serious about that little bit of reading he/she assigned last week.
This is what I like to call, post-syllabus week blues. If you catch it, I wish you the best. This is a nasty bug that is highly contagious and hard to shake off.
Causes:
- The end of a week of a light workload and a lot of fun
Symptoms:
- Having to actually purchase your textbooks and catch up on some reading
- Not being able to go out every night of the week
- Having to be attentive and take real notes in class
- Having to learn and study
Treatments:
- Getting a normal amount of sleep: You probably shouldn't be going to the bar until it closes every night of the week. Get lots of rest so your body can reboot and function properly.
- Getting yourself on a normal schedule: The key to overcoming the post-syllabus week depression is to get yourself back onto a normal schedule of - going to class, working out, doing your homework, etc.
- Hold on for dear life until it is Friday: Yup, you heard me correctly. The ultimate cure for this type of depression is sucking it up until it is the weekend, and then partying like it is still syllabus week! (Well ... at least until Sunday)