Studying

How to Use Your Syllabus to Prepare for Online Classes

Stepping out of your high school class into a university lecture hall can be daunting. Even if you’re taking online courses or doing remote learning for your first year, you may still feel a bit uneasy joining in or adding to the discussions. And that’s completely normal.

Your syllabus will act as your survival guide for your course. With it, you can create an outline of your semester by marking your readings, large assignments, or upcoming midterms and final exams.

Your first year is generally split into two terms: Fall and Winter. Each term is about 12 weeks long (give or take a week for Fall or Spring Reading Week and holidays), and while this may seem like loads of time at the beginning, you’ll quickly run out of it if you’re not careful.

Luckily, everything you need to know about your course can be found in its syllabus, including:
Your class time and place 
Textbooks you need to buy
Assignments & exams
Professor contact information   
Topics covered each week 
If you’re doing any online learning in the upcoming academic year, the syllabus will describe how to enter your digital classroom!

One of the best ways to succeed in your university courses is to prepare. Set a goal to complete the following before your first day of class:
Set up a calendar system for important test and assignment dates
Don’t skip the assigned readings or homework!
If you’re lucky enough to get lecture slides, make sure to skim through them
Figure out what type of learner you are
Choose a note-taking system that works for your class
Setup your notebooks (digital or physical)

For a more in-depth look at everything you need to know for your first-year of university, download the “Guide to First-Year University Classes”!