In a syllabus, the most common topics are grading style, due dates and extra credit opportunities. Students often overlook the important details in a syllabus that could benefit them later on.
“If you don’t read to the bottom thoroughly, you may miss some bonus points,” assistant teaching professor in journalism Tony Moton said.
Myles Mendeszoon, a graduate student in family and consumer science, explained how a syllabus helped him excel during his years at Iowa State.
“I read it pretty closely and then I talk to other people in the class to see if there’s any other things they picked up on, in case I missed something,” Mendeszoon said. “There’s a lot of bonus points to be left in there that I didn’t realize.”
Mendeszoon expressed that his accounting 2150 syllabus surprised him, because the professor had hidden notes located in the class syllabus.
“I think it should be short and simple, as long as it hits all the key notes, but I understand for liability issues why it has to be long, with the way students try to get out of things,” Mendeszoon said.
A syllabus can serve as a valuable method for students by providing essential information regarding deadlines, extra credit and course expectations. Alyssa Reed, a junior studying interior design, gave her opinions about how a syllabus has helped her be successful in the classroom.
“[I pay attention to] the class schedule, how each section of assignments is weighted and when each project and exam is due, so I can plan out my time for the semester ahead of time instead of procrastinating,” Reed said.
It’s important to be mindful when reading the syllabus for a class, as there might be hidden notes and bonus points to look out for.
“Every semester, I try to read each syllabus before the first day of classes,” Reed said. “When I start, I read them fairly thoroughly, but by the end, I tend to skim over the words because a lot of them are lengthy and wordy and contain a lot of the same information. Especially if you had the professor before, you already know what to expect from them and what they expect from you.”
Every semester is different for what is to be included in a syllabus. It can change depending on the professor, class or time of year.
“Picking and choosing what to put in there is always something I deal with every semester,” Moton said. “Students want to be prepared.”
A syllabus can be constantly changing, and there are factors that play into that.
“I don’t think a syllabus should be written in stone,” Moton said. “We’re in the news business, and things happen on the daily that affect things I can teach.”
