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You’ve finally made it to the first day of class! Now what? Just know that this first class will be a little different than the rest of the semester. You will get the almighty syllabus. What is it and how do you use a syllabus anyway? It’s an outline of the readings and assignments in a given course. The first thing to know about is that it is like a contract between you and the professor! They know it, and so should you. This means that if the prof changes something on the syllabus during the semester, and you don’t feel that it’s fair, you can dispute it. If they make unreasonable changes to it, so you can dispute if you so choose. However, if the change benefits you, you should probably keep your lips shut tight. Of course, everything changes if the prof does what this archaeology prof does below:
Course Management System
Most colleges nowadays have an online course management system. My alma mater, Kent State University (KSU), uses Blackboard Learn (BL), so I will use that for any examples in this post. Before going to class, get on BL and print out the syllabus. Your professor may hand out a copy during class, but you can never assume anything. You are an adult now and must behave as one. Yes, for real. Your mom isn’t there to remind you or do it for you anymore. This means being prepared for anything. If you plan to do much of your work and note-taking on a computer, then you could just have a copy ready to annotate on your laptop when class starts. Regardless, be sure to also bring whatever you will use to take notes. Many profs will end class after going through the syllabus, but some will go ahead and start the class afterward.
Most course management systems are similar, so here is how to find a syllabus on BL. We will use the Archaeology class for an example.
Once you’ve clicked on the class, you should see the syllabus listed under the instructor’s information. Clicking on it will bring up the document. You can either save it to your computer and then print it, or just print it. I recommend the former.
Get Your Tools Right!
Let’s pause a moment. Have I ever mentioned how very much I LOVE office supplies? No? How strange because I really do. You should always, ALWAYS have the proper tools with you when you go to class. We’ll cover paper and such when we talk more in depth about taking notes, but now is the time for all things HIGHLIGHTER! You will need to highlight all assignments, due dates, and tests. What would be some good tools for this you ask? Well…. If you like a bold, bright liquid highlighter, you can never go wrong with my favorite standby of Sharpie Liquid Highlighters. I’ve used these for years. They come in 10 colors for those of you who like to color code (like me), or just like variety. Some of the darker colors might be a little harder to see through, so they might be better for underlining or circling. The barrel is partially clear, so you can easily see when the ink is getting low.
A new favorite is the Zebra Midliner highlighter. They are much softer, lighter colors and are double-sided! One side is finer and one is broad so you can write, highlight, and/or underline with the same instrument. Mind you, the finer end is still a highlighter color, so it is still very light. I wouldn’t take notes with it, but you can still do quite a bit with it. They come in 20 colors. At least that’s the highest I’ve seen. You can buy a set of 15, or sets of five in Cool, Friendly, and Fluorescent. We’ll cover pens later. Ok, back to business.
How to Handle Your Business!
During this first class, the prof will go over almost the entire syllabus. Follow along closely with everything he/she says. Note if the prof advises that you must have the book listed for the course. Ask if a previous edition is acceptable (it’s always cheaper). Note if any suggested reading is listed. Ask any other questions you have about the syllabus, like clarifying something if it’s worded unclearly.
The syllabus will also cover the criteria for grades in the class. That section for the archaeology class is included below.
Notice that attending class DOES affect your grade in this class. Be aware of which classes have this requirement and which don’t. You can also see that your grade depends on attendance and 3 tests. That’s not much room for error. She also lists review opportunities and hints at possible extra credit. Knowing these things can help you plan out your semester.
The syllabus is also where the prof will list anything of importance to them. Check out the following:
We will cover a section on communicating professionally in college, but this prof does not mess around about emails. I have a feeling that if anyone emails her in any other way than the above, she will not respond, or may even delete the email. Students beware. I would also guess she has other preferences that better be followed.
Other Recommendations
Before leaving the first class, or at least within the first few sessions, get another student’s contact info. You’ll need it if you have questions on assignments, need someone to study with, or miss class and need notes. Make sure to try to feel people out. You want someone you think you’ll get along with who will also be willing to work at least as hard as you do.
Sometime after class, be sure to read over every word of the syllabus. You may find other areas for which you have questions and can ask the prof. Take this time to put all assignment due dates and test dates into your planner. If there are larger assignments or research papers, this is a good time to break them into smaller steps and add those steps to your planner as well. It is much easier to finish a huge paper/assignment if you’ve been working on it all semester than it is to try to cram the whole thing into one week.
Following these guidelines for all of your classes will set you up for a super successful semester! If you have any other tips for how to use a syllabus, please share them in the comments!