A clear comprehensive syllabus
On the first day of class, your instructor should provide you with a syllabus
of the course, including what your instructors expects from you. It should
include all the elements in the generic
syllabus.
Help when needed
You should feel comfortable asking your professor for help when something
presents a problem within the classroom. You can always drop by during
your professor's office hours or make an appointment to see him/her at a time of
mutual convenience. You should also be able to e-mail your instructor.
Most instructors set up conferences with students anywhere between once and
three times a semester.
Useful comments on drafts of essays
Especially on first drafts, you can expect your instructor not just to help
you write with grammatical correctness or with clear sentences and organization.
You can expect help with how to find your own perspective on a topic and how to
develop an argument. You can expect to have your ideas challenged (but not
denied) and to be asked to consider the possible differences between what you
meant and what a reader understood. You can expect to learn some of the
expectations for academic writing and to learn how to edit your writing for
greater power and clarity. Here are two examples of instructor's comments
on an essay. Which kind of comments do you think would be more helpful to
you?
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