Honors Connections Fall 2004 Syllabus Interpretation and Strategies for Success

Prepared and presented by Katherine Shakespeare Honors Student Advisor

The Syllabus: A roadmap to success in your coursework.

HONR 1300, U.S. Institutions Dr. Denise Conover MWF 1:30-2:20

HONR 1320, Civ: Humanities Dr. David Lancy MWF 9:30-10:20

HONR 1330, Civ: Creative Arts Dr. Tom Peterson MWF 2:30-3:20

HONR 1340, Food and Culture Dr. Sarah Gordon TR 3:00-4:15

HONR 1350, Life Science Jeff Motychak TR 1:30-2:45

HONR 1360, Planet Earth Dr. Jim Evans MWF 1:30-2:20

Getting Organized and Staying on Top of Things

Note all major assignments, papers, quizzes, and exams on a calendar or to-do list to get an idea of the pace of your semester.

Examine the syllabi for all of your classes, checking for spikes of activity.

Example: Susie is taking Honors 1320, 1340, and Mid-semester, over a two-week period, Susie can expect the following from her three courses: –1320: Literature Test, Quiz, and Writing Assignment –1340: Midterm exam –1360: Exercise 3 and in-class Essay Examination.

As soon as you receive an assignment or are assigned a paper, take a moment to analyze the assignment. Evaluate how long it will take to complete the assignment. Don’t leave yourself only one day to complete an assignment that involves three days’ worth of work!

Pace the readings for your classes. Check your syllabus to see if there are any massive amounts of reading due midway through the semester.

Attendance and Participation

On your syllabus, note the attendance and late-to-class policy. How will missing class directly affect your grade?

The schedules listed in syllabi are almost always tentative.

If you have to miss class, speak with your professor beforehand. Ask what you can do to catch up on what you’ll miss. Ask a classmate to take careful notes for you. Be proactive!

Are you graded on participation in class? Sometimes students who don’t actively participate in class discussion are marked down at end-of-term.

“Participate actively in discussion.... Participate equally with members of your group in group work/group discussion/‘pair share’ settings. Everyone benefits from this type of collaborative learning and problem solving. Respect others’ opinions, perspectives, and differences in the classroom. The professor is watching, listening, and taking note of your group work participation.” ~Dr. Sarah Gordon HONR 1340, Food and Culture

Writing a College Paper

When you are assigned a paper, check the stylistic instructions. 12 pt? Margins? Font? Headers/Footers? Documentation/Citation? Length?

Ask to see an example of an A paper.

“Do not procrastinate on research and writing, and use quality sources to complete your work. For term papers, do not rely on internet websites. Use library article databases long before the assignment is due so you can receive Interlibrary services.pdf files or ILL books if necessary. Help on research strategies is always available in the library or through the professor.” ~ Dr. Sarah Gordon HONR 1340, Food and Culture

Examining Your Syllabus: Don’t Skim!

What is your professor’s policy on late assignments?

How important are the readings? Will you be quizzed on the reading material?

Do dates on the syllabus refer to homework for that night or when assignments are due?

Examine the grading scale for each of your classes. Will low scores be dropped?

What study aids are provided for the course? Will your professor hold extra review sessions?

Pay particular attention to phrases that are bolded or italicized or followed by exclamation marks.

Success in Your Honors Breadth Course

“Think, Think, Think. Ask, Ask, and Ask. Do not memorize. Take nothing for granted. Do not accept everything as I say as the truth. Question. I will be much more concerned about concepts and your ideas than of your ability to memorize terms.” ~ Dr. Jim Evans HONR 1360, Planet Earth

“many of the things students need to learn come in a RANGE of answers; there is a RANGE of possible values, or solutions, to science problems.” ~ Dr. Jim Evans

Study Groups: Finding Safety in Numbers

Meet at least once with other students in your class. Go over the syllabus and clear up any ambiguity.

Meet with at least one other student before exams and quiz each other on objective material.