In some classes it is hard to fill the first class period because students are not always prepared with books or have read material in advance. However, it was very interesting to read how students will feel about the class if it does end early. In the future, I will make it a point to keep all of my classes longer on the first day.

I believe that it is important for faculty to know the policies and expectations of a school. Students are looking for faculty mentors that they can rely on to give them good advice and guide them in the right direction. If a faculty member or mentor does not understand the institution's procedures correctly for themselves, they will have a hard time relaying these messages to students.

After reading through the second lesson, comments about non-classroom personnel playing a role in retention struck me. I believe that the whole experience of attending school should be positive. If there are negative experiences with non-classroom personnel students may become unhappy with the institution as a whole regardless of the education they are receiving. Having poor customer service in a sense could negatively affect a person's experience.

I personally do not believe in using a standard syllabus and filling in blanks. I feel as though each instructor should be given a general template and be allowed to fill in information based on their personal expectations of the student in regard to polices from the institution. It is more difficult for instructors to follow a standard syllabus and in turn it may seem to the students that they care less about the class because they are simply following standard procedure.