The First Day

The first day of class. Mostly it will consist of locating classrooms, finding seats next to students you believe share common interests, obtaining syllabi, and go through the "getting to know" activities.

No matter what your reaction to that first day, there's something else that should go on, and not just paying attention to syllabus policies. The classes you are in, the teachers in them, are all there for a purpose. The wildcard, though, is you.

Why are you, as a student, in the class? What are your goals? What do you hope to obtain from this class? What are you willing to do in this class? How important is one class related to another?

These are important questions. They deserve answers right away. The answers will shape your entire semester. Sit down. Give it some thought. Find your answers before the semester takes on a life of its own.