For many college students, Syllabus Week is the best week of the semester! It is a week of firsts. It is the first week of a new semester, the first week back from break, and the first week of class. Sylly Week, for what seems to be for everyone besides me, gets very silly. On the first day of many classes, professors go over the course syllabus and then let the class leave early. My professors go over the course syllabus and then start teaching! Normally, I have a class about twice a week, three times if you include recitation. On the second day of class, (from my experience, anyway) the professors go full force into their lesson for the day. I always get the worst FOMO during syllabus week because I feel that I am the only college student who is drowning in homework. My anxiety starts on the first day of a new semester.
Happy Hour
This is the first event to spark my FOMO and anxiety. Many of my friends schedule their classes around happy hour. Who would want to miss the best part of day? I have some friends who have class all day before happy hour, and then get to unwind after class at a bar of their choice. I have other friends who do not have class until happy hour and then go to class feeling very relaxed. Some people, have class before and then after happy hour! During sylly week, happy hour seems to be an every day event at the local college bars. I can't help but feel anxiety as I am walking to class and my friends are on their way to enjoy a few drinks.
Snapchat
This app on my iPhone gives me the worst anxiety. I'll be sitting at my desk doing the ungodly amounts of homework I got assigned the first day of class, and finally decide to take a break. When I look at my phone, I have at least 20 snapchats just waiting to be opened. All of my friends are out at the bars (again) or at a house party without me!
Group Chats
Often, in one of the may group chats I am in, someone will create plans for the evening. All of my friends somehow have no work to do during the first week of class. As I hear my phone vibrate at least a hundred times a minuet, I have to ignore it. All I can think is, "how do they not have homework?"
Driving Down Easton Ave
As I was driving down Easton Ave this week, anytime past 11 p.m. I could not go faster then 20mph because of the swarms of college students that kept crossing the street. The bars were packed, with lines out the door. The freezing cold temperatures clearly kept no one away from going out during sylly week. My anxiety came from being uset that I could not be in one of the bar lines and also from fear that I was going to hit one of the hundreds of students crossing the street!
So, thank you to my professors who have never allowed me to truly act silly during silly week. I'm sure there are others in my same situation out there. If you need me, I'll be at the library, completing all of my assignments due the second week of class.
