Heidi Cuevas | Staff Writer
Nothing is worse than starting the semester and looking through all the syllabi within the first week— or worse, finding no syllabus at all— to prepare for each of our courses. If we had more time, the first week wouldn’t have to be so chaotic.
Semester after semester, I’m left in the dark about what my classes will be like for the term. All I have to rely on to pick my classes are “Rate my Professor,” SPOT surveys, or the very vague and short class description when searching for classes to have the slightest idea of what the class will be like.
The syllabus is the layout of the class and without it, we’re all entering the course unprepared.
For one, we’re all waiting to find out what the required course materials are for the course. Students need to know if it would be worth participating in the Panther Book Pack— which is now $20.50 per credit hour and sometimes takes an excruciating long time to get the materials ready— or if they should find the materials somewhere else.
Then there are the policies that range from course to course. As a commuter, the policy for attendance can help me decide whether or not I should stay in the course.
Some of my courses have allowed two to three missed classes without penalty, but others weren’t as lenient. Undergoing at least a thirty minute commute isn’t easy, especially with the bizarre weather we’re faced with or the guaranteed traffic we deal with almost every morning.
And the policies regarding make-up work, late assignments, and due dates can give me insight into how many late nights I’ll spend writing papers or finishing quarterly projects.
But what’s worse than waiting for the beginning of the semester to get the syllabus is having no syllabus at all. According to the FIU policy, in-person students should have the course syllabus “no later than the first class meeting.”
If a student has a course on a late Friday afternoon, it leaves them little to no time to drop the course if necessary and find a replacement.
All of the preparation necessary for the semester takes time, and unfortunately we aren’t given enough. Having access to the class syllabus at least a week before the semester begins will remove the overwhelming struggle of being prepared for classes before the Add/Drop week ends.
DISCLAIMER:
The opinions presented on this page do not represent the views of the PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.
About Post Author
