Understanding A Course Syllabus

Students starting at colleges and universities find themselves faced with many new experiences, both in and out of the classroom. You will find there is a steep learning curve, not simply of the material, but of the style and presentation of the coursework and the classroom expectations.
Among the many new things to grow accustomed to is the academic language, jargon and lingo. When you first begin to talk to others, particularly professors and students in higher years than your own, it may feel as though they are speaking a completely different dialect of English, and in some ways they are. You will find there is established academic terminology that you are faced with without the benefit of a translator or academic dictionary. One important term which crops up often right from the beginning is the course syllabus.

A syllabus, by definition, is the course of study for a given class. In other words, it is a course outline. This doesn’t quite cover the specifics, however, as it is much more than that – it is a key to your course, if you choose to use it as such. In most cases, while it does outline what will be covered in your course, a syllabus also provides a lot of crucial information on class expectations, assignments, grading criteria and much more.
You will find that the majority of your professors will distribute a syllabus within the first week of classes. Do take the time to read through it, and to keep it somewhere easy to find, so that you can refer to it as needed throughout the course.

You will find all the basic class information is provided, including the course name, location and hours, as well as the names of your professor and their teaching assistant, if there is one. Their contact information, office location and hours will be included.

In addition., your syllabus is where you will find more detailed information, typically including the class outline, a reading list, class expectations and guidelines, due dates for coursework, and grading criteria. You may find the professor has precisely detailed their expectations regarding essay formatting, class participation, or other details they feel are important.

With a syllabus, the class starts on level footing – all students have exactly the same information. It is up to you to put it to good use.

By: Jon Ginsburg

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