Handing out the syllabus is essentially the only duty of the first day. Putting the syllabus on the Web could help students and professors alike by helping move true teaching one day closer to the beginning of the term and by helping students know what a course is really going to cover in contrast to what a sexy paragraph might make them think. Currently, the helpful but at times outdated or incomplete list of books in the CUE Guide is the only hint to what books will be read.

The Coop, to its credit, has already pressed the Faculty for more information and has seen results in predicting the correct number of books to order. "It's been getting better," Murphy said. "The more communication we have with the Faculty and more we know of the history of their enrollment, the better off we are."

The most dramatic, if far-fetched, changes could come in how and why students pick courses. If students could see the syllabi ahead of time, they might actively contact the professors and find out how a course will work. Without the need to commit the next day or face a fine, students and professors alike might be more open to questioning choices of emphasis and asking what is feasible or of interest. They could e-mail professors or go to their office hours far ahead of a seminar or conference course and find out if the class will be a match. Perhaps most importantly, they could prepare readings for courses they were sure to take, lessening the overall bulge of work that begins the semester.

Pre-registration, then, will help all involved: students will have seen the courses and hopefully the syllabi before shopping week, The Coop will have more accurately gauged course enrollments, and professors--after committing earlier to what courses they will offer--will reap benefits in a less undecided audience during shopping week.

Then I'll need to find another excuse for why I am behind in the reading.

Adam I. Arenson '01 is a history and literature concentrator in Lowell House. His column will appear on alternate Thursdays.