Your Roadmap for Success Alice: “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" Cat: "That's depends a good deal on where you want to get to."... Alice: “I don’t know where I’m going!” Cat: “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go!” (Alice in Wonderland, Chapter VI, P 64; Carroll, 1960)

Exercise #1  What is your favorite hobby/activity?  Take a few minutes to think about the steps you would take to teach it to someone else. Assume they have no prior knowledge of your hobby/activity.  Tell the person beside you how to “do” your hobby.

College is Different from High School: Socially  Did you get a detailed explanation? The person with whom you have traded papers may be a friend or a new acquaintance. Either way, they probably left out an important aspect of their explanation.  In whatever we do, we each will stress a different aspect of any activity. Now imagine dedicating several years of your life to a particular field of study and then explaining it to someone with little or no background knowledge. This is what a professor must contend with.

College is Different than High School: Academically  In high school, could you get away with missing a week of class? In high school, you showed up to class unsure where the course was headed or even when the next test would come. Being lost in the course was not a big deal.  In high school, what constituted the majority of your grade? In college you may have only 2-3 tests over the course of the 15 week semester which accounts for the majority of your grade  How important was homework? Homework may not be collected, but you are expected to perform the tasks on the exams  How important where the outside readings to the class? Your instructor may give you a list of assigned readings and then never mention them again in lecture only to test them on the exam.  Did you have a review session before the test? During a pre-exam study session, the instructor may end the session when students have no further questions. You may not receive a comprehensive review during a study session.

Freedom is Wonderfully Distracting  With all those differences and your new found freedom, it is easy to get lost the first few weeks of the semester.  But you can work really hard and catch-up a few days before the test, right?  Wrong!!! Running as fast as you can in circles will never get you anywhere. It is always best to know where you are going, if you really want to get there. Then slow and steady wins the race.  Professors know this better than anyone. That is why they give you a “Roadmap” of the course, called a Syllabus.

Syllabus  Def: a summary outline of a discourse, treatise, or course of study or of examination requirements  When you think of a syllabus at college, think of it as the outline of the course and the rules you are expected to follow to complete the course

Exercise #2  Look this syllabus over, highlight the areas that you think are important.  What do you think are the important areas?  What do those areas tell you about the course?

Breaking it down  The syllabus can be broken down into several areas:  How to reach your instructor  Course Requirements  Course Objectives/Instructor’s Philosophy  Grading Policy  Course Calendar

Instructor Information  Name: How does the instructor wish to be addressed? (Yes, you should know this!)  Office: Building and Room (May be across campus from where the course is taught)  Office Hours: When is the best time to contact your professor? (Make an appointment and don’t be late!)  Phone and Ask your instructor which method they prefer to use for quick questions.

Course Requirements  Texts and materials needed (Computer software, graphing calculators, snorkel equipment)  Outside resources: Web resources (Blackboard), library holdings etc.  Descriptions of papers, projects, reports, homework etc.  Prerequisites/Co-requisites/Parallels may be listed  These are some of “The Rules of the Road”

Course Objectives/Philosophy  What can you learn from this section? This will give you insight into the direction of the course. This is the destination the instructor is attempting to lead you to.  Look at the syllabus you have. Where is she attempting to take you?  This is your springboard for study.

Grading Policy  How your grade will be calculated  Point distribution: Is it a point-based system or percentage based on each assignment?  Note about Extra-Credit: It is rare that instructors give extra-credit at the college level. If not discussed on the syllabus, assume that asking about it will get an eye- roll or a light chuckle. However, the worst thing they can do is say, “No!”

Course Calendar  This is the road you will travel to get to your destination.  This is the weekly breakdown of the course and assignments related to it. Each week before you start your study, look at the topics listed and focus on those as you study.  Here you will also find the due dates of assignments and exams.

Exercise #3: Second Syllabus  What is the objective of the course? How would you approach the text?  What type of exams will be given?  How important are quizzes and assignments? When are they given?  Can you miss an exam or quiz?

Finally, Did You Know?  When you stay in a class past Friday of the first week, you have implicitly accepted the syllabus as your contract with the instructor.  The instructor will assume that you have read the syllabus and agree to the terms laid out in it.  It is best when meeting with your instructor, to take your syllabus with you. The instructor will probably rely heavily upon it during the meeting.

Other Welcome Week Workshops  Your Place in the Crowd  Who am I, Why am I here? (fun and interactive)  On an Academic Journey  Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say  The First Test