Syllabus Day

Written By: Dr. Rich Houston, Director of the Culverhouse School of Accountancy

I hope what follows doesn't come across as overly cranky. I'm aiming for the sweet spot where I’m appropriately cranky (a name for a racehorse with colic?). I’m not saying I’m wrong, just cranky.

Class starts in a couple of days, please get off to the right start. I’m teaching AC311 and I’ve been spending a lot of time preparing. My goal is being better than last time, which it always is. It should be yours too. Always set the bar high for yourself. Some of you define bars in terms of something other than setting some kind of standard for strong performance, which may in fact be a large part of the issue.

Approaching The first day of class (with the “T” capitalized on purpose). I don’t know when the first day of class became known as “syllabus day.” It’s not syllabus day, it's the first day of class and it behooves you to be there. If you look at it as “only” syllabus day, it will color your approach to the class for the rest of the semester, and not in a good way. Incidentally, it also colors your approach when you don’t pay a particularly large amount of attention to what’s actually in the syllabus.

So, when you come to the first day of class with the right mindset, you’re setting the right tone for the semester. Treat all class sessions as noncancellable appointments, and treat the first day as a chance to find out what it takes to do well in the class and what you will be learning.

And for goodness’ sake, please check your email early and often!

Please and thank you. I am increasingly noticing that “kids” of all ages are not minding their manners. Saying please and thank you where appropriate is so simple and it reflects on you the wrong way when you don’t say them. You can change how people view you when you do mind your manners, and people will see and treat you so much better.?

Some guy on the internet put it this way:

Manners are a good way for you to show gratitude, display respect, and demonstrate kindness. Good manners are a strong indication of how you'll behave in the future. They indicate whether you're dependable, reliable, and selfless.

Getting back to how to approach class, when I don’t see people in class it pains me to wonder where they are and what they’re doing

While those who show up, work hard, and practice effective time management have the results to prove it.

So, if you don’t come to class because you’ve listened to your lesser instincts or friends who don’t have your best interest at heart

And do things you know that maybe you shouldn’t, because they seem like a good (ɡo?od, ɡ?d; adjective; fun, pleasurable) idea at the time,

Your results will reflect your effort and you risk having to scramble to stay on track in school and repair your self-image.

So, it’s up to you to change your life by doing what you know you know you should do, leaving behind bad habits and bad influences. I am fully aware that some of you will and some won’t.

Regardless, you can’t count on people to surveil your life and keep you on the rails.

So, do yourself a favor and go to class

Having already prepared

With the right attitude

And realizing that you don’t have to do it alone because help is readily available.

Doing all this will help you learn and succeed, which will pay off big time.

Then, having lived up to your capability, enjoy a well-deserved break at the end of the semester

The point is that, even though there likely will be ups and downs, and that it’s in no way easy and takes a lot of self-discipline, taking control of your life, turning your study habits around, and not giving up is the greatest gift you could give yourself, much larger than one class or one semester.

Changing your ways for the better will vastly improve how you view yourself and how others view you, which will color the rest of your life. It’s a really big deal, and it’s never too early or too late to do it. I’ve seen it happen often, and I hope to see it happen a lot this Spring!