COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL
What do you do with a syllabus? The syllabus is such an important document, it deserves a place of honor. Put it in a sheet protector and store it in the front section of your course binder. You’ll be referring to it frequently. If your teacher doesn’t provide you with a copy of the syllabus, but posts it on the class webpage, print two copies . Put one on the bulletin board or wall at your workspace, and one in your binder. Download a copy to your computer desktop and mobile device so wherever you are you will have a copy of the syllabus available to you.
SYLLABUS
Post a copy of the class syllabus on the bulletin board at your workspace and on your desktop.
What’s in a syllabus?
As you move up through high school and into college, syllabuses become more complex, detailed, and increasingly important to your success in a class. In high school and college a syllabus can be several pages long. A typical syllabus addresses several topics relevant to the course: Course title and description. The syllabus includes the name and level of the course, such as Honors or Advanced. It includes the course term (e.g. one year or a semester) and a brief description of the course. Objectives. The syllabus includes a list of course objectives. Those are the skills the teacher wants students to learn in the class. PRODUCT PREVIEW Teacher’s contact information. Teachers can be kind of picky about how, when and where students may contact them. No surprise – they have many students to care for and a lot of work to do. If your teacher sets office hours or restricts modes of contact, they’ll tell you about it in the syllabus. Respect their rules. Expectations and attendance policies. Sometimes this section is just a repeat of the usual stuff, like “all students are expected to be seated by first bell,” but it also holds information about the consequences of tardies and what constitutes an excused absence . It may set out whether and under what conditions, students are allowed to make up an assignment, homework or test, as well as rules regarding submission of late work and extra credit. Since even one zero can have a major impact on your overall grade in a class, know how to make up missed assignments, tests or quizzes. Whenever you are
absent, track the deadline for making up missed work in your planner. Course calendar. The course calendar is more than just a list of dates and deadlines. It reveals the progression and pace of the class , and gives you a sense of the difficulty of the course. At the start of the semester, take some time to compare the workload and pace of your various classes so you can anticipate periods of increased demand on your time and energy. In your planner, highlight and track days and weeks that you can expect to be very busy. Balance your workload and manage your time accordingly.
Note the date you should begin working, as well as the date the project is due.
81
THE 21st CENTURY STUDENT’S GUIDE TO STUDY SKILLS
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software