Syllabi, by Danielle Perry, '08
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The syllabus is probably one of the most underused tools teachers give to their students. At the beginning of each semester, professors give their classes a syllabus which usually includes an outline of what the class will entail, a timeline of homework assignments, details about assignments, attendance policies, the office hours of the professor, and other such important information. The syllabus is a contractual agreement of sorts between the students and the professor, so that the expectations for everyone are clear from the very beginning.
Sometimes professors choose to go over the syllabus in one of the first few classes, but often they won’t, under the belief that college students should be able to read a few sheets of paper giving them all the information they need to function in the class. All too often students wonder “when is this assignment due?” or “how many classes can I miss?” or “how much will I get taken off if this paper is a day late?” not realizing that the information is contained in the syllabus, which may or may not be somewhere in the student’s possession at that point of the semester; so make sure that you keep track of your syllabus or ask your professor for an electronic copy if one is not given.
Your syllabus is a great tool to use to answer many of the questions that you may have about your class and also provides the information that you need to plan out your school work and assignments for the whole semester.
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