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Professors can
spend years developing and refining courses
and syllabi - they get justifiably annoyed
if, at the end of the semester, you say, “I
didn’t know that” about something that was
on the syllabus all along. Your grade could
suffer as a result of not reading the
syllabus.
The attendance
policy will vary from instructor to
instructor and from department to
department. Be aware that in some courses,
exceeding the limit on absences in a class
can sometimes lead to an “F”.
The syllabi
for all courses should be kept, even until
after graduation, since the syllabus can
help to get you transfer credit, or meet a
grad school requirement, where sometimes a
catalog description might not.
Making a Good
Impression in the Classroom
-
Observe
good classroom etiquette--arrive early,
avoid talking, note-passing, eating and
making unnecessary noise or movements.
-
Always do
the assignments and come to class
prepared. Bring your books and other
materials with you.
-
Be
attentive and take notes.
-
Ask
questions that demonstrate your
out-of-class preparation.
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Always be
ready with assignments.
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Attend
every class, even if there is no
attendance policy. Most classes at
Whittier College include significant
discussion and interaction. In missing
a class, you are likely to miss
information you will be responsible for
knowing and understanding but will not
find in your textbook.
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Sit in or
near the front row.
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Tell the
instructor after class when it was
particularly interesting to you.
-
Make sure
the professor knows your name. You can
help by introducing yourself; remember
you may have 4 different professors, but
each professor may have more than 100
students per semester—even at a small
place like Whittier!
-
Ask for
help before you need it--don’t
wait until the last minute.
-
If you
have to miss a class, let the professor
know ahead of time. If you miss a class
because you are sick, bring a note from
the Student Health Center to the next
class.
Keep ALL
Official Documents
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Some
Differences Between High School
Teachers and College Professors
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Teachers |
Professors |
|
Keep
after you until you get all your
work in. |
Assume
you will keep track of your own
work.
|
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Write
hall passes. |
Expect students to
arrive on time and to be in class,
paying attention, for the entire
class period.
|
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Often
think of you as teenagers or
children and are not surprised by
irresponsibility. |
Simply
expect responsible, adult behavior--
and are surprised/disappointed by
irresponsibility. |
|
Often
give chances for "extra credit". |
Rarely
give "extra credit", consider it
high schoolish. |
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Are called Mr./Ms./Mrs. |
Are
called Dr./Professor
(although many Whittier College
faculty will invite students to call
them by their first name). |
|
See
all levels of academic ability on a
daily basis. |
Are
accustomed to dealing with students
who are academically skilled enough
to get into college. |
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Almost
always understand students' learning
problems because they see so many
problems.
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Were
the academic stars in high school,
college, and graduate school; they
expect to be dealing with highly
motivated learners who did well in
high school. |
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Give
lots of quizzes and tests so you
have lots of chances to do well. |
Might
base your grade on the final exam or
a single paper only (although there
are usually some other tests and
papers).
|
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Help
you before or after school. |
Are
available to help students during
posted office hours (see syllabus)
and expect you to make an
appointment to meet with them. |
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Have
MANY students and have to spend an
inordinate amount of time grading
papers. |
In
addition to teaching and grading,
are involved in demanding committee
work, scholarship, and professional
activities. |
|
Have
their own classrooms and decorate
them. |
Use an
assigned classroom for each class. |
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(and
there may be other differences)
Communicating with Professors
• Make an appointment before or
after class or by phone.
• Get to class extra early or stay
late.
•
Slip a note under the office door,
leave a message with the department
secretary, or call professor
directly if number has been made
available to you by the professor.
•
Write a note at the end of a test,
or attach a note to a daily
assignment, if other attempts to
contact the professor have failed. |
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