It’s important to understand exactly what a syllabus is and the information it provides. Think of a syllabus as your contract with the professor for that class. You are required to perform and understand all of the material in this document. A syllabus is the most important tool you have in order to be successful in the class. A syllabus contains:

• Contact information on the professors, Teaching Assistants and other staff who will be involved in the course. Here, it may state their preference on how to contact them: email, phone or text message. Every professor has different ways of communicating with their students and it is good to know this for the remainder of the semester.
• Office hours. Every professor has times set aside in their days to meet with students. These times are typically first come first serve, but professors are more than happy to negotiate a time to meet with you one on one, if you cannot come to their scheduled hours.
• Grading scale. You want that A, right? Well, in the syllabus is the grading scale on how much assignments are worth. This is a handy reference to have, especially when you are trying to calculate what you need to do to receive the A you want.
• Expectations. Professors set their own expectations for their courses. This could mean that you are only allotted a certain number of absences for the course or other useful information that the professor is looking for in their students.
• Assignments and  their due dates. This is very important to know the first week of classes. Putting all of the huge assignments in a planner in the first week of school can help you organize your time early on. You may see that you have 2 papers and a test all due on the same day a month from today. Knowing this ahead of time will prioritize your studying and help you achieve the grade you want.

For more tips, check back every Thursday morning!

As always, email us with any questions/concerns: CM.Pass@umb.edu