Syllabus Savvy

So you have probably heard of a syllabus before, but what you may not know is how important it is! A syllabus is pretty much your course road map for the rest of the semester. Some of your professors will hand out paper versions and some will just put them online. No matter what way they come, it is important to keep track of what is on the syllabus.

Things usually on the syllabus:

-Class expectations: most professors put on their syllabus the break down of how much homework, how many exams, and how many projects you will have to complete for the class. This will help give you a general overview or a big picture of the class and what the semester is going to look like.

-Due Dates: this part is very important! Most syllabi contain due dates for the homework and projects. Also, the syllabus usually has on it when your exams will be.

-Office Hours: this part is very helpful, especially if you are having trouble in a class or just want to touch base with the professor. Most syllabi lay out exactly where and when you can go to get help from the professor and Teaching Assistants (TAs).

-Contact information: this will tell you how to get in contact with the professor or the TAs if you need anything or need to set up a meeting outside of office hours.

Why these things are so important:

I found this aspect of college very different than high school. In high school, my teachers would go over and remind us when some due date was coming up. This is not how most professors run their college classes. Many professors will tell you at the beginning of the semester when things are due. Then, they may not mention it again. They assume if they told you once and if it is on the syllabus, then you will know it is due and remember to do it. This is one of the reasons why the syllabus is so important.

What to do about it:

In order to keep organized and not miss deadlines, when I first get the syllabus I write down all of the due dates into an assignment book or a calendar. At first in my classes, I was waiting for the professor to say “Ok class, you have to read chapter one and that is due tomorrow.” Or “Make sure you do the online homework for Friday” but that never really happened. I realized that I needed to look on the syllabus for what and when I had to turn things in. Also, as soon as you get the syllabus, write down on a calendar when and what time your exams are. This is especially important because once in a while, you might have exams in different classes that are on the same night at exactly the same time. It is better to find this conflict earlier rather than later in the semester! And, if you are ever having difficulty in a class, go back and look at the syllabus to see when you can go to office hours to get help.

Over all, the main point is that syllabi are there to help you and to be a useful tool, not just an extra piece of paper to get crumpled up in your backpack. Go into your classes prepared, keep your syllabus, and you will rock this semester!

Sarah Masters is a junior in Engineering Science, and she is a Mentor for WEPO '14!