Fall 2015 NUBAssignment #2: Get Organized! The Syllabus Assignment

Goal: This assignment is designed to help youorganize your schedules and get a sense of the workload ahead for this semester. After completing it, you should have a good sense of how your semester will develop and be able to think actively about how to manage your time.

Due Date: Block XX

Step One:Syllabus Collecting!During the first week of class you should be given a syllabus for every class that you are taking. Be sure to organize your syllabi and put them in a safe place so that you can refer to them throughout the semester.

NOTE: It is your instructor’s responsibility to provide a syllabus containing a complete list of assignments, the due dates for assignments, and to indicate how much each assignment is worth towards your final grade in the class. If you do not receive a syllabus, or if it is incomplete, please ask the instructor for the information.

Step Two:Taking Down the Info!In your fabulous new NUB planner (you’re welcome!),take each syllabus you have and:

  • On the first page of the planner – the Class Schedule page – write down the location and name of each class in the appropriate time slot.
  • Mark due dates for every assignment and test indicated on each syllabus in the calendar section of the planner, on both the monthly or the weekly pages. Color code your lists of assignments if you’d like: for instance,a different color for each class ortype of assignment (papers, group projects, tests, homework, etc.).
  • Indicate beside the due date how much the assignment is worth (or “weighted”) toward your final grade. Knowing the weighting of assignments is very important for you to figure out how much time you need to put into completing the assignment. (Eg: if an assignment is worth 10% of your final grade in the class, spend about ¼ of the time on it that you’d spend on an assignment worth 40% of your final grade in a class).
  • Write down all of the dates of your final exams in the planner (these can be found online if they’re not in the syllabus, and know the date of your LAST exam for the oral presentation).

Each entry, then, should have THREEbits of information: the type of assignment (eg: test, paper), its value, and what class it’s for, entered on the day it’s due. Eg: Philosophy paper (25%)

Step Three:Reflect! Once all your assignments are written down in your planner, step back and go through all the weeks of the semester, looking at the semester as a whole. What week or two do you anticipate will be your most stressful/demanding? Why? Identify that week or those weeks and begin to brainstorm some strategies for how you can plan effectively to get everything done, done well, and done without freaking out!

Step Four:Discuss!Come to class ready to show your planner to the class, talk briefly about your most demanding week or weeks and your strategies for managing it. Then yourPeer Mentor will lead a class discussion on pro tips for time management!