A GPS for Your Classes

 
A Global Positioning System (GPS) tells you where you are at the time you are requesting directions and gives directions to where your going.
In college a class syllabus, given to you on the first day of class is like a GPS for each particular course. It basically tells you what an academic turns to make to succeed in a course .    Unless you’re very familiar with the course being studied, you want to pay close attention to the contents of a syllabus.
 
The following is a breakdown of what is in a course syllabus:
 
  • The Course Title. It is common for the course number to be included as it is seen in a Catalog.
  • Course location, the building and class number are given.
  • Current professors teaching the class along with his or her contact information which will include the office location and times they can be reached.
  • A brief description of the course.
  • Instruction objectives, this section concentrates on what you will learn/understand throughout the course and at the end.
  • Prerequisites required, equipment or text needed. Many of your major and some core classes require that you have a certain level of knowledge of another subject or a basic level of understanding of the course you will study. Some classes require different equipment such as a subject specific calculator or  goggles.
  • Assessments you the student will do along with how frequent, projected dates and the values they have to your final grade.
  • Course polices regarding attendance, deadlines and academic honesty.
  • Some professors may have section advising on how to be successful in their class.
Read through you syllabi’s for each class and if something is not clear to you consult your professors for clarity.  After all this is the document telling you what direction you need to go to be successful in your classes.
 
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