“Where’s my syllabus to guide me through life?”
― Megan McCafferty, Fourth Comings
A syllabus is one of the most mysterious animals in the academic jungle. When seen for the first time, a syllabus may seem intimidating and even scary. But when approached with due respect and positive intent, it will invariably turn out to be a friendly and highly helpful creature.
Though every single student will encounter many syllabi in the very first year of study, many of us still are not completely sure what it is and why it is so important that many professors devote the whole first class solely to talking about it. So why not try and puzzle it out together?
But before we go any further, let us dot I’s and cross T’s in the realm of the syllabus-related grammar: “syllabi” is the more chic-sounding plural form, but “syllabuses” is also acceptable.
Why Is Reading Your Syllabus so Important for You to Succeed in Your Coursework?
Getting acquainted with your syllabus may seem a formality, but, in fact, it is an essential ingredient in your recipe for academic success. Reading the syllabus attentively and thoughtfully has a whole range of benefits that are hard to underestimate. The syllabus will help you find out what the professor expects from you and what you can expect from the professor.
It will allow you to create your own mental map of the course. You will be able to plan your work and spread it out evenly throughout the semester. In such a way, you will manage to avoid the dangers of procrastination and the pain of last-minute cramming. Also, you can always turn to a professional essay writer who can write my essay online if your planning fails or you simply need help with your assignments.
What Is a Syllabus?
A syllabus is a map that will guide you through your course. It answers all your initial questions:
1) What will we study?
2) When will we study it?
3) What is the grading policy?
4) Am I in the right class?
In a nutshell, it is a concise outline that includes the main themes of the course, the key deadlines, and the crucial requirements.
What Parts Does a Syllabus Have?
Most syllabi have 5 main elements:
1) General information: the professor’s name, contact details, and office hours;
2) Course information: the course title, course description, rationale, learning outcomes, etc.;
3) Schedule and deadlines, including session dates and times as well as due dates of assignments and tests;
4) Materials: books and other sources, additional resources, and equipment;
5) Policies: the information concerning the attendance and behavior requirements, grading, academic integrity, etc.
These five key elements are present in most syllabi, but their configuration and content may differ. The overall structure of the syllabus often depends on the college standards, but it also reflects the professor’s personality and teaching style. So, a syllabus allows you to get to know your future professors a little bit better before you even meet them in person.
How Do You Make Friends with Your Course Syllabus?
- Always start with reading a syllabus. Do not brush it off as a boring bureaucratic rudiment. It will give you a general picture of the whole course and help you define if you are interested in taking this course and can handle it at this stage of your academic journey.
- Compare the syllabi of all the courses you are planning to take this semester. Define the most overloaded periods and critical days on which you will have the most workload (important assignments and tests). It will allow you to work out the most successful strategy. For example, you can decide against taking some of the courses, choose other courses instead of the more demanding ones, enlist professional essay help you can find on essay-reviews.com, or start working on the more challenging assignments early on.
- Keep your syllabus at hand throughout the semester. Refresh your mental map from time to time. Try thinking of what material you have already covered, what important concepts you have worked with, and what questions still remain unanswered. You can mark your progress with a highlighter and write comments in the margins. In such a way, you will have a more integral and comprehensive vision of the whole course.
5 Tips for Those Who Want to Make the Most of It
- Ask questions. Though teachers try to make their syllabi as exhaustive as possible, there is always something you can ask. It will help you read the syllabus with more focus and also show your professor that you have given the syllabus a lot of thought.
- Mark the deadlines in your personal calendar. Whether it is a paper calendar or an app, adding your deadlines will surely make you more organized and responsible. You will clearly see the approaching deadline, and it will motivate you to start working on the assignment early on. However, if the dates remain in your syllabus only, you are quite likely to forget about them, risk your academic reputation by submitting the paper late or compromise the quality of it by starting work at the eleventh hour. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, you may need to look for paper writing help. But if you have made friends with the syllabi, you will always manage to fall on your feet.
- Make your own visual syllabus. Many syllabi are very informative and detailed, which makes them a little bit hard to read and process. Turn lengthy syllabi into useful visual assets by reworking them with the help of color coding and graphical elements. Choose the information you find most important (main themes, class schedule, key assignments, and test deadlines) and make it stand out. The simple way is to use highlighters, arrows, and underlining to transform the existing syllabus. But you can also search for templates online and create your own functional syllabi for all the courses you are taking. It will help you get more organized.
- Be proactive and stay ahead. When you have time, check the syllabus and work on the assignments that are sure to take up a lot of your time at the end of the semester.
- Connect the dots. Look at the syllabi of different courses you are taking and see how they connect and work together.
Final Thought
Whatever comes your way each semester, remember that the syllabi are friendly and loyal creatures as well as skillful guides. You only need to give them a chance.
