As sylly week comes to an end and the reality of college life sets in, it is crucial to reflect on all the events that occurred during sylly week, from the first day back on campus to that dreaded Sunday morning a week later, a debrief is necessary. As Charles Dickens once said, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” VALLEY is a judgment-free zone, and sylly week is no exception. Let’s explore the reality of what occurs during sylly week, both the good and the bad.
Positive Aspects of Sylly Week
To start on a positive note, the energy on Penn State’s campus during this week is immaculate. They do call it Happy Valley for a reason. The weather is warm (which is rare for State College), everyone is dressed to impress with their new back-to-school clothes and all the sneakers are glowing white. Freshmen are bright-eyed, and everyone has their GPS in hand, finding their way to new classes (don’t worry freshmen, upperclassmen use a GPS too). And the center of Penn State, the HUB, is full of students hanging out, and genuinely, no one looks depressed… yet.
Emma Nelson, a second-year Penn State student, says, “Sylly week feels like a vacation. I love how excited everyone is to be back. Everywhere is so busy, and you run into all the people that you haven’t seen all summer.”
Making New Friends
Another benefit of sylly week is the opportunity for a fresh start. People are particularly outgoing and open to making new friends during this time. It’s a great chance to meet new faces in classes and clubs. Things aren’t like this year-round, so it’s refreshing to make new friends before all the workload and stress make people more reserved.
Saoirse Dooley, a third-year student, says, “Sylly week is the prime time for pushing yourself to make new connections, especially in classes. It’s a whole new set of people introduced to your life and it’s a great opportunity to expand your horizons.”
Downsides of Sylly Week
Now, here are the downsides of campus during this time. No one has started skipping classes yet; therefore, getting to class early is crucial, or else finding a seat may be challenging, especially in Thomas 100. Also, forget about getting a quick drink from Starbucks before class — the line will take hours. The chaotic 15-minute period between classes can feel like a zoo of people storming at you, which is intimidating if you’re new to campus. However, the campus chaos tends to calm down post sylly week.
So, What Exactly is Sylly Week? Let’s Get Real.
For those who are new here, when students refer to the term “sylly week”, they aren’t really talking about the syllabus. Every college student knows this is code for party time. Classes aren’t challenging yet, so this is an excuse to go on a week-long bender. For those involved in Greek life, the frat texts start rolling in, and they all start off with “Good morning, gorgeous ladies of…(blah blah sorority),” and you know what that means. It means you will be staying up until 3 a.m. and fighting for your life to stay awake during that 9 a.m. the next morning.
For upperclassmen, the bars are the place to be. Students must get into that bar line early, or else they have to wait hours before getting their hands on that first vodka-cran. But it’s sylly week, so it’s all worth it. Or at least that’s how it is justified.
Sylly Week Horror Stories
Students may act a little crazy during this time, but VALLEY is here to let you know it is okay. Maybe you woke up in a bed other than your own? Maybe you flirted with the workers in the Jefe’s line? Maybe you texted all your ex-situationships from last semester? Whatever it may be, you are not alone. It happens to the best of us. All the drama is what makes sylly week so silly. Sometimes, you just have to look back and laugh.
Saoirse Dooley, third-year student, offers advice for dealing with the sylly week scaries:
“Sylly week can be a scary time for many. We may act out of character, but my advice is to lean on your roommates and laugh about everything that happened. Some of my favorite college memories are from sylly week, so I promise that if you did something embarrassing soon enough, you will think of it as a funny memory. And know that everyone else also has their own sylly week story they will never forget.”
The Aftermath
So, after all the silliness of sylly week is over, that absolutely dreaded Sunday morning rolls around. This is probably one of the worst Sunday scaries students experience. Even though sylly week is meant to be for reviewing the syllabus in class, most people probably haven’t even glanced over it yet. Now is the day to order Bagel Crust, put on some PJs, debrief with the roommates, and finally start schoolwork. This is when everyone remembers that they came here for an education, not just a never-ending party that feels like a sleep-away camp. Reality hits, and people aren’t sad it’s over — they’re relieved. It’s time to go back to being a regular student and not whatever wild version of themselves they were for the past week.
Hopefully, all the freshmen made it through their first sylly week—many more are to come. And for the Upperclassmen, while they may be growing tired of these ‘sylly’ times, they should take a moment to appreciate them. It may sound cliché, but college really does go by quickly.
Anyways, what happens during sylly week stays in sylly week.
Tweet us, @VALLEYmag, your favorite sylly week story.
*VALLEY does not support underage drinking. Please remember to always drink responsibly.*
