Switching from months of relaxation over the summer straight into heavy course loads and overwhelming numbers of due dates is stressful for anyone. Keeping track of a new schedule and planning for the weeks ahead can make adjusting to the new school year seem nearly impossible, and University of Wisconsin-Madison’s current first week setup might be to blame for this syllabus shock.
As canvas pages fill up with assignments and syllabi, students are required to take matters into their own hands and hit the ground running by setting reminders and creating new calendars just to survive the first few weeks. This structure makes it difficult for students to feel invited and welcome in new classroom settings.
The university’s approach to syllabi format doesn’t help alleviate back to school anxiety either, with harsh contract wording that is sure to alarm students already frightened by their new learning environments.
While there are crucial and necessary pieces of information in a syllabus, such as student misconduct and academic integrity, these documents could be adjusted to make students feel both prepared and welcome. The university itself suggests that faculty make their syllabi more inclusive and friendly, though there seems to be little oversight and enforcement on how faculty actually incorporate this.
UW-Madison should begin working more closely with its staff to ensure syllabi and course expectations are communicated in a way that eases students into the semester. This could be accomplished by weekly reminders from professors and teaching assistants, or by providing students with up-to-date syllabi on a regular basis.
Syllabus shock isn’t caused solely by institution required information, however; the structure of move-in is another stresser. With dorm move-in dates barely a week before the first day of class, new students get very little time to adjust to a new environment before being thrown into the fire of their course schedules.
To curb this immediate routine change, UW-Madison should strongly advise its faculty to post canvas courses and schedules weeks in advance, allowing students to plan ahead and feel caught up before classes even begin. It’s not uncommon for professors to post their canvas courses a week into the semester, an unhealthy habit sure to spread anxiety throughout their class.
Additionally, professors and teaching assistants should hold office hours in the weeks leading up to the semester, providing all of their students with their location and availability. This would allow students to make a good connection with the teaching staff and gain further insight into expectations and ways they can prepare for the coming semester.
No matter how helpful and involved the university is in welcoming students to the new school year, syllabus shock will still manage to impact some students. However, students can do a lot to prepare for themselves for the new semester and get a head start on their schedules.
Experts on college life at U.S. News and World Report strongly recommend making use of time management tools, and point to apps like google calendar and TikTok to stay on top of due dates and deadlines. They also advise students to contact their parents or guardians on a regular basis to build a strong support system that can help them throughout the year.
At the end of the day, success during this semester and good mental health requires students to know their own capabilities. Students need time to relax and take a break from the constant grind from school. Course loads can be hectic as well, taking 12 credits instead of 18 may be needed for some to avoid a challenging semester.
Paul O’Gorman is a sophomore studying history and political science. Do you agree that the university and students can do more to ease into the new semester? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com
