College students completed a 29-item survey containing items covering first day of class activities. We found students preferred to obtain information regarding the class structure and required coursework rather than learn personal information about the instructor or their peers on the first day. We also found that students do not universally believe that first-day activities set the tone for the remainder of the course. We discuss these results in terms of developing effective strategies in planning for, and teaching on, the first day of class.
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