2 Words. 1 Week. 0 Regrets. Syllabus Week.

Syllabus Week is exciting no matter what class standing you’re in. It's the first week of classes, which means no major homework and tons of events to attend once the sun sets. Syllabus Week can be overwhelming when trying to juggle social and academics. These tips are sure to help anyone who is struggling to find a balance between the two. 

Plan Accordingly: You know you have an exchange with Beta Beta Beta on Tuesday night. You also know that you have Chemistry 101 at 7:45 AM the next morning. No need to stress, just plan ahead. Have fun and stay out as late as you like, but muster up some self-control and head home at a reasonable hour so you can catch a few z's before class.      

If coming home at a reasonable time isn’t your style, then I advise you pick out the outfit you plan on wearing to class and lay it out before going out. That way when you come home at 3:00 AM, you can sleep in at least 15 minutes longer, because you already know what you’re going to wear to class when your alarm goes off in ... 4 hours.

Come Home: Parties are fun, I get it. However, it’s the first week of classes and therefore, way too early to kick off shacking season. Stay out as late as you want, but whatever you do, come home.
GUYS: There’s nothing more awkward than going to bed with the girl that was dressed as a cheerleader the night before and waking up at 7:50 AM to find her still laying next to you, sound asleep and possibly snoring. You know that class starts at 8:10 AM, but you have no idea what to do with her. Waking her up would only make things more uncomfortable, and leaving her makes you look like a jerk.      
GIRLS: There’s nothing more awkward than going to sleep next to the guy you met at the paint party and waking up at 7:15 AM alone in his bed. Fraternity houses are one giant maze. Good luck finding your shoes, finding your way out without being seen, cleaning yourself up AND getting to class in 15 minutes. This can all be avoided if you just accept a guy's offer when he asks to walk you home.

Don’t Over-Do It: We all spent our summers doing something different. Some of us worked, some of us had internships, some of us traveled or went to school, and some of us spent 90% of our summer on the couch watching Orange is The New Black and House of Cards on Netflix.        

Yes, this is the first week of classes, and yes, this is possibly your first time interacting with people in a while, but don’t over do it. Know your limits and don’t be sloppy. 

It’s okay to skip out on some of the events that you have planned/were invited to. Saying yes to everything and staying out late every night of syllabus week could possibly harm your grades before they've even been established. Although the first week of school is one of the easiest, it is also one of the most detrimental. You always want to make a good impression on your professors, and the way you begin your academic year sets the tone for how the rest of it will go, so keep that in mind when you’re dancing on tables in a fraternity chapter’s basement at 3o'clock in the morning. 

Syllabus Week is fun, but make sure you're smart about it.