How to Read A Syllabus And Ace your Classes

What is a syllabus?

A syllabus is a piece of paper (in physical or digital form) that you will get in every single one of your classes during the first day of class. A syllabus is a roadmap on how to succeed in a given class.

What are parts of a syllabus and why are they important?

Excerpt From: Jessica Ilayalith Mora. “Spread Your Wings and FLI.”

1.Cotact Information

What you will always see at the top of the syllabus is the course title, the professor’s name, and a teaching assistant’s name (if applicable to the course), along with their emails and office hours. This information tells you who to contact when you have questions and how you can best reach them. Office hours are a set time each week when your professor will be available to you. Sometimes office hours will be in their physical office space. Other times it will be in a café on campus. Office hour are meant to be a time when you can ask for professors questions ranging from course material, to their careers, their research interests, etc.

2.Textbooks and Course Materials

This section of the syllabus will tell you what things you need for the course, like textbooks, lab notebooks, or workbooks. Note that some materials might be required while others might be recommended, so ask your professor what is required to keep your book costs low. It is also worth asking whether your professor is okay with electronic versions of the books since e-versions are usually cheaper.

3.Homework/Lecture Policies

In this section, professors usually explain what the expectations are for turning in homework. Some professors might want you to submit homework online, others might only take homework in person. Same with lecture policies: Some professors may count attendance at lectures as a part of your class grade, others may not take attendance at all. The better you understand what the professor expects of you, the more you can ensure that you are successful in any given class.

4.Course Calendar

The course calendar will include important dates for the class. If you have any field trips or mandatory movie screenings, these dates will all be on the calendar. You will also find exam and midterm dates on it. Make note of all the dates in this section! Missing or forgetting one of these dates can be extremely detrimental to your grade.

5.Grading Rubric

The grading rubric will tell you how your professor is actually grading you. Some professors may include things like participation or lecture attendance. Most commonly you will see things like homework, exams, labs (if you’re in a STEM class), or midterms. By understanding a rubric you can figure out exactly what you need to do to get a good grade in the class.