With August quickly approaching, Kennesaw State students are starting to slowly prepare for their fall classes. As students start to pack their bags, all of the build-up, excitement and preparation leading up to that first week of classes suddenly drops off when professors decide to use that first day of class to simply review their syllabus — a process that often feels like a waste of students’ time.
When students start a new year of college, it is important for them, especially incoming freshmen, to start off on the right foot. There are several ways that professors can motivate and engage their students for the upcoming semester that does not involve simply reviewing a syllabus.
The dreaded “syllabus day” on the first day of class can make students feel like they are going out of their way just to review a short document that they have already had the chance to review for themselves online.
“In a general ed sense, one hundred percent of syllabus days are a waste of time,” art major Olivia Rodriguez Escobar said. “I would rather just have the day to get introduced to the teacher, meet my peers and have a chance to go purchase the appropriate textbook that I need for my classes.”
KSU uses D2L for a reason — professors post most class assignments and documents online for students to view before class starts. Because of this, many professors expect their students to have at least viewed class assignments and documents before attending their next class period, and the same idea should apply to the class syllabus.
Instead of reviewing a document that students have already gone over individually, professors should use the first day of class as an opportunity to set expectations for the semester with students and provide opportunities for everyone in the class get to know each other.
Some professors may not like to start on class material on the first day since the student roster is not permanent during the first week of the semester, due to the drop/add period, but professors can still use the class time in a more productive way while not necessarily starting on serious class material.
For example, for a seminar or discussion-based class, professors may want to plan an activity for the first day that gets students and the professor talking as a group rather than simply asking students to individually share information about themselves to the class. For lecture-based courses, professors can plan activities that will make students aware of the importance of note-taking and listening during class.
By planning a more productive activity during the first day of class, professors can ensure that students will understand both the professor and the class going into the first week of classes — before the drop/add period is over.
Professors need to break outside of usual expectations and steer away from “syllabus days” to motivate their students from the very beginning. By setting clear expectations and starting out the semester strong from the first day, instructors are setting up their class and their students for success throughout the rest of the semester.
