Survival Guide for College Students Missing First Week?

[shroom]

In 2010 I too was in college. I talked to my professors and didn't miss much. Had to be very careful about being out any the rest of the semester due to the strict attendance policy. I had some online classes and worked ahead. I missed 2 days of school. I live in Georgia and drove like mad to get back for Tuesday class but won't try that again. I was such a zombie I don't remember a thing.

[jcliff]

Well, after seeing this post at the top of the Q & A for months and wondering why that is, I've decided to chime in. I feel like I have some cred on this issue. I'm a high school science teacher that misses the 2nd full week of school, but I'm also an adjunct professor for a graduate level Biology Methods course at top-notch university. I miss my graduate class's 2nd meeting for the Burn. I'm also a graduate student working on my 3rd masters. I'm missing my first meeting of my thesis class for a Lamplighter Work Weekend on May 24. It's not that big of a deal to miss a class, even the first one.

My suggestions are: Don't tell your Prof's where you are going, but do send them an email letting them know of your absence. Assure them that you will be prepared for the next class. Don't ask the Prof to send you class meeting materials, just beg them off of someone who was there.

Give yourself a couple days to recover from the Burn before you have to get back in the swing of things. If that means that you have to leave early, do it. I've never seen a Temple burn. As much as I'd like to, I know that the 12 hours of sleep I get in a Reno hotel bed makes the difference for me.

[longtimecompanda]

In 2010 I too was in college. I talked to my professors and didn't miss much. Had to be very careful about being out any the rest of the semester due to the strict attendance policy. I had some online classes and worked ahead. I missed 2 days of school. I live in Georgia and drove like mad to get back for Tuesday class but won't try that again. I was such a zombie I don't remember a thing.

I'm lucky enough that I don't have classes burn week but this sounds like what will happen to me this year. I live in Georgia and class starts the Monday after the burn. I will of course be working ahead but I don't think I'll be able to show up for a class until Wednesday.

[portaplaya]

When planning your departure from BM this year, keep in mind that the temple is burning at sunset this year, about 8pm. (see this post on Burning Blog: http://blog.burningman.com/2012/07/news ... -about-it/)

This is a change from previous years where it burned at 9:30-10:30. The change is specifically to create two more hours of Exodus for the hellacious traffic expected with the increase to 60K people.

[niquitatornada]

For my University the add/drop period is the first 2 weeks of classes. So professors are very lenient about students missing those first two weeks of class. This is my plan basically. They don't really question things too much so all I have to say is "I wasn't in class last week, what did I miss" and they will assume that I was just switching my schedule around.

Not sure if it's the same for your university. I go to a very large state school, which is probably why this will work.

[BoyScoutGirl]

Just going to reiterate that each student should check with the school. Having taught at a large state university, we specifically dropped students who missed the first lab that very day, no follow-up questions asked. The waiting lists here are just too long.

To other student-participants of Burning Man reading this, I hope your schools have the flexibility (and funding!) of niquitatornada's, but better to be fully-informed than sorry.

[meincoif]

I've participated in Burning Man four times over the past ten years and missed the first week of classes each year (twice as an undergrad, twice as a graduate student). The amount of notice and detail I would give each professor depended on the class. For large general-education courses, I would write a week ahead of time saying I had a time conflict and would miss the first week, but would be sure to make up any missed notes/coursework and attend the following week. For smaller seminar courses or anything graduate-level, I would give more detail. Being in the social sciences, generally I felt comfortable sharing that I was attending Burning Man (as a valuable social experiment but also valuable to me, personally). Again, assuring the professor that I was eager and excited for their course and that I would make up any missed work always worked for me. Of course, I'm in Ohio, so this situation may be more novel for professors than, say, those at UCBerkeley.

[mytripod]

As a former college instructor, I think there is great advice here about advance notification, getting books and syllabi ahead of time, and offering to do projects. The majority of your profs and instructors will probably be fine with this, as you have shown them that you are not just blowing off school and hoping for the best (radical self reliance!). If you know in advance that there is one asshole prof who hates everybody and never budges, you can always fall back on Grandma's funeral.

[Kairielise]

I too will be dealing with this in Fall of 2014. One advantage I hope I have is that I am an art major, so hopefully my professors will appreciate my need, if not be incredibly jealous of the fact that I'm going to BM. Add on to that, the fact that I'll be going from BM, right into my other great annual passion, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal, for my third year working that event. One thing I've considered is taking a heaping helping of classes over the Summer, and none in the Fall. Trying to get on-line courses is another possibility, since I'd be able to work at my pace, from anywhere (except the playa).

[theCryptofishist]

so hopefully my professors will appreciate my need, if not be incredibly jealous of the fact that I'm going to BM.

Ouch...

[Kairielise]

so hopefully my professors will appreciate my need, if not be incredibly jealous of the fact that I'm going to BM.

Ouch...

not that I WANT them to be jealous.

[theCryptofishist]

I only know one art professor, and maybe she doesn't count because she teaches art history. She has a life. She has a career, a husband, a child, she goes on trips to Iceland and China. I don't think she's jealous of her students.
Art is so huge a field, and I bet there's more art professors who'd rather be in the Venice Biannual, than who want to go to the event.

Oh, and nobody, I mean, nobody, "needs" to go to the event.

[Kairielise]

Ouch..

[BBadger]

So are you just starting college or something? I hope you realize that most professors don't (need to) appreciate these "needs" because quite frankly it's your ass on the line, not theirs. At the lower levels, there is even less incentive to care because many people drop their courses in the first week, and quite frankly newly enrolled students are disposable. Plus, as much as there is great art at BM, it's still just a vacation -- not some enlightenment that may produce a better student (as if it mattered). I wouldn't expect your professors to treat this event any different than a regular vacation.

If your professors do know about BM, they'll know it happens every year. If I were the professor, I'd be questioning why you picked this particular year, during my classes, to go camping in the desert -- assuming I really cared in the first place. In fact, given the above, if I were you, I might not even mention that you're going to Burning Man. Some other "obligation" sounds more reasonable.

If you are a first or second year, it may work as often only the low-level generic courses are held in the summer. For other courses, they may only be held once per year in that semester. Some courses might have "lab" work too that can't be done at home, but that'll probably start the following week.

[lucky420]

my daughter missed her first week of classes a couple of years ago due to going to the burn. When she got back 2 of her profs had no problem with it. The third however dropped her out of the class. This prof would not budge. My daughter had tried to contact the prof before classes started but was unable to (alot of teachers seem to not be available until classes actually start, after all they are on vacation too).

My daughter could of transferred her dropped class but was told she would need to get approval of the whole department before she could do this. AS it was already the 2nd week of classes, she wasnt sure how long that would take and how much farther behind she would be. So she did not pursue it at the time.

My son is also a college student. this past burn was the 1st time he was able to attend the whole burn because he would usually attend classes monday and tuesday and then come up to bm for the rest of the week. this has worked out well for him. We live in Reno so it is maybe more feasable for him to miss the first couple of days since we have camp already set up by the time he arrives.

Having said all this you would think that profs here in REno would maybe be more understanding of students attending bm. but as my daughters case proves, not always so. I think BBadger really hit the nail on the head.

[Aurelia]

and I do not agree with Fishy

there is within some of us

both teachers and students
an identity factor which translates into a Need to go to the burn

[mudpuppy000]

I only know one art professor, and maybe she doesn't count because she teaches art history. She has a life. She has a career, a husband, a child, she goes on trips to Iceland and China. I don't think she's jealous of her students.
Art is so huge a field, and I bet there's more art professors who'd rather be in the Venice Biannual, than who want to go to the event.

Oh, and nobody, I mean, nobody, "needs" to go to the event.

I know several art professors, and none of them go to burning man. For them it's 24/7 art, so why would they need to go out to some god forsaken place to experience it.

[FossaFerox]

I only know one art professor, and maybe she doesn't count because she teaches art history. She has a life. She has a career, a husband, a child, she goes on trips to Iceland and China. I don't think she's jealous of her students.
Art is so huge a field, and I bet there's more art professors who'd rather be in the Venice Biannual, than who want to go to the event.

Oh, and nobody, I mean, nobody, "needs" to go to the event.

I know several art professors, and none of them go to burning man. For them it's 24/7 art, so why would they need to go out to some god forsaken place to experience it.

Because art is so much better when you can climb it then watch it burn?

[mudpuppy000]

I only know one art professor, and maybe she doesn't count because she teaches art history. She has a life. She has a career, a husband, a child, she goes on trips to Iceland and China. I don't think she's jealous of her students.
Art is so huge a field, and I bet there's more art professors who'd rather be in the Venice Biannual, than who want to go to the event.

Oh, and nobody, I mean, nobody, "needs" to go to the event.

I know several art professors, and none of them go to burning man. For them it's 24/7 art, so why would they need to go out to some god forsaken place to experience it.

Because art is so much better when you can climb it then watch it burn?

Oh I don't know if that makes it any better. That's sort of like saying Transformers is better than 2001: A Space Odyssey because there's more explosions in it.

[theCryptofishist]

I don't know, mudpuppy. After all, Burn Wall Street had more drama than several of Shakespere's histories.

[mudpuppy000]

I don't know, mudpuppy. After all, Burn Wall Street had more drama than several of Shakespere's histories.

IANAA so I'm no expert. Something like burn wall street seems like it's geared towards burners (or burner artists) vs art professors. They seem to be more interested in abstract/academic things in my experience.

[theCryptofishist]

I don't know, mudpuppy. After all, Burn Wall Street had more drama than several of Shakespere's histories.

IANAA so I'm no expert. Something like burn wall street seems like it's geared towards burners (or burner artists) vs art professors. They seem to be more interested in abstract/academic things in my experience.

I'm terribly sorry. My odd sense of humor got the better of me.
Unless you're way more deadpan than I am, in which case, well played.

[mudpuppy000]

I don't know, mudpuppy. After all, Burn Wall Street had more drama than several of Shakespere's histories.

IANAA so I'm no expert. Something like burn wall street seems like it's geared towards burners (or burner artists) vs art professors. They seem to be more interested in abstract/academic things in my experience.

I'm terribly sorry. My odd sense of humor got the better of me.
Unless you're way more deadpan than I am, in which case, well played.

lol. My sarcasm-o meter was turned off.

[theCryptofishist]

It's nice that you trust me. Thank you.

[danibel]

So just lucky or unlucky, depending, I am going to miss the second meeting of a precalculus algebra class in the fall for Burning Man. I am also going to be arriving back home the day of the third class (possibly before, depending on the job sitch). I will be attending the first class, and hopefully can connect with a few other people to get copies of notes, but I am worried about being behind on homework so early in the semester. I am spending some time on Khan Academy trying to work ahead so that I don't get behind!

I know it's crazy to think I will be able to do homework out there - but I might try to find Math Camp and get some encouragement and fun in at the same time.

[lumusislight]

danibel wrote:
So just lucky or unlucky, depending, I am going to miss the second meeting of a precalculus algebra class in the fall for Burning Man. I am also going to be arriving back home the day of the third class (possibly before, depending on the job sitch). I will be attending the first class, and hopefully can connect with a few other people to get copies of essay writer notes, but I am worried about being behind on homework so early in the semester. I am spending some time on Khan Academy trying to work ahead so that I don't get behind!

I know it's crazy to think I will be able to do homework out there - but I might try to find Math Camp and get some encouragement and fun in at the same time.

I know that feeling very well. My conscience always lets me down in such cases. When I missed my first week at Illinois Central College, I thought I would die of shame, because I didn't manage to keep up with homework assignments and do all of those in time, but then it dawned on me that there was nothing to be ashamed of. Being a Burner is my choice and my principle, and it's more than just attanding the events. That's what I had to explain to my professor who was not very pleased with my homework results.