Using the Course Syllabus to Maximize Your Grades
To maximize your chances of getting the highest possible grade on an assignment:
- Complete the assignment - Your professor cannot grade something that you do not turn in! Do your best to plan time to get assignments done during the week.
- Turn the assignment in on time - Most professors have strict late policies. Ensure that you look at your course syllabus to make note of the late work policy.
- Contact your instructor before a deadline if you are facing unexpected circumstances. They may grant you an accommodation or extension.
- Do not plagiarize. This can automatically get you a 0 for an assignment, in addition to other more serious consequences. Here are Penn State's policies on Academic Integrity Links to an external site.. There are also resources from the English department Links to an external site. outlining types of plagiarism, and how to avoid it.
Assignment Weights
This is one of the most important sections of the syllabus. You can use this section to help you prioritize which assignments need your most urgent attention.
- If tests are worth 50% of your grade and you only have 2 tests (midterm and final), then each test is worth 25% of your grade. That would mean that you would want to spend a significant amount of time studying for these exams because they can really impact your overall grade in the class. However, if you had 5 exams in the class, then each exam is only worth 10% of your overall grade in the class.
- The grading scale also emphasizes the importance of participating in every assignment. You often will get some credit for turning in an assignment. For example, say you get a C on your first quiz (worth 10%) of the grade because you weren’t quite prepared for the material. You still earned roughly 75% of the available points for that assignment.
- Other weighted categories may include homework, discussion posts, essays, participation, and more. Ensure you know which categories are weighted more than the others to prioritize your work time.
Resources to Help Track and Manage Grades:
- Assignment and Grade Tracker Links to an external site. - This tool will help you organize and track your assignments in your courses. It will also allow you to utilize an alternate method to track your grades. This can be filled out based on the information provided in your syllabus regarding assignments, point values, and weights.