Your syllabus will guide you through your course by outlining assigned readings, marking distribution, learning outcomes and more:
- Contact information– find out how to contact your prof/TA or visit during office hours.
- Course description– details not only what you will learn but also whether the course will work towards your degree, fulfills your specialization or major/minor requirements, or will count towards your breadth requirements.
- Course objectives and learning outcomes– this is where you’ll find details about overall course goals. You will also be able to determine what “soft skills” (e.g. information literacy, researching, critical thinking, etc.) you will be building upon.
- Required reading, course demands, class schedule– allows you to create a study plan and ensure you are managing your time between all your courses appropriately.
- Assignments and grading– find assignment descriptions, weighting and grading schemes so you can ultimately calculate your GPA in the course.
- Policies and other notables– make sure you read the professor’s stance on late assignments and grading, remarking of term work, missed tests, drop date/deadlines and academic integrity policies.
