3 Can’t-Skip Sections of the Syllabus
Photo by Romain Dancre on Unsplash
Read Time: 2 Minutes
Author: James Tierney
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Introduction
A course syllabus is created by the instructor of record and outlines course expectations. Reading and understanding this document before the first class is a crucial step in preparing for the upcoming semester. However, syllabi have become lengthy. My most recent Econ 104 syllabus at Penn State was 13(!) pages long.
Many universities have requirements for what needs to be on the syllabus. For example, Penn State has a senate policy (https://senate.psu.edu/faculty/syllabus-statement-examples/) that shows 11 different required items.
With all this information, it is easy for students to be overwhelmed and either (a) not read the syllabus or (b) have no idea what level of importance each item is.
Here I break down the three most important sections of the syllabus that will help you succeed this semester:
Contact Information
Your professor and teaching assistants (TAs) will provide you with their contact information. Make sure you know their email addresses, office location (perhaps a Zoom room), and office hours. Add them as a contact so their emails don’t go to spam, and add all office hours to your academic calendar. Your professor and TAs are there to help you throughout the semester. Don’t hesitate to reach out and ask them when things become difficult.
Required Materials
Many courses have weekly homework assignments and readings critical to success. Understanding which textbooks to buy, online solutions to sign up for, and articles to download will set you up for an organized semester. If this section is confusing, it’s OK to reach out to your professor or TA and ask for clarification. However, make sure they know you’ve read the syllabus! Nothing annoys professors more than getting questions that can easily be answered on the syllabus.
Important Dates
Knowing when assignments are due and where exams are taking place is necessary to develop a plan of attack for each course. Locate these important dates on the syllabus and add them to your Google Calendar. A good practice is adding studying and work time early in the semester. That way, you already have a plan for reaching your academic potential.