1. How much time do I need to spend on this class? The rule of thumb at the College is that you should be spending three hours working outside of class for every hour in class—that’s nine hours per week working outside of class for this course alone. This will vary by time of semester—some weeks (when you are studying for an exam or working on a paper) you might work more than nine hours on a single course and some weeks less. It will also vary by individual—some people read faster than others, some people catch on to certain kinds of material faster than others, etc. But, in general, the rule of thumb is a good approximation of what you need to be doing. If you are not doing as well as you would like in this class, the first thing to ask yourself is whether you are working up to this rule. If not, that is likely the key to understanding why you are not performing better.

2. Do I have to read everything closely or can I just skim? I assign an amount of reading that I believe can be read carefully and in full. If I think skimming of a particular assignment is sufficient, I will tell you so. Otherwise read comprehensively—complete the entire assignment, make notes in the margins as you read, and think about what you are reading. It’s not enough simply to race through the pages. Stop and ask yourself periodically (e.g. at the end of a chapter or subsection) what the key points are in what you just read, how it compares to other things read, etc. In other words, read actively.

3. What do I need to do to get an A? An A is a reward for outstanding work across the board. It is not given simply for doing solid work. For example, you can write an essay in which everything you say is correct and still not receive an A. The A essay will not just answer the question with accuracy, but with insight and depth. It will be very well written and organized, and it will make maximum use of the available materials (e.g. assigned readings). An A, in other words, requires a lot of work. If you get an A or A- from me on any assignment, you should be proud.

4. Is a B a bad grade? On the contrary, a B is a reward for good work. It means you understand the material well, and there may not be anything seriously wrong with a B essay. The difference between an A and a B is that the latter, while good work, lacks the depth and extra effort that is reflected in A level work. To move from a B to an A, means moving from good work to exceptional work.

5. Does a C grade mean I have done poorly? According to the College Bulletin, a C reflects a “satisfactory level of achievement.” It does not mean you have performed “poorly” nor does it mean that you have failed to learn anything. Think of it this way: assuming you start the class with little background on the subject you are starting from 0, a C means you went from 0 to 75 (on a 0-100 point scale).

6. Do you give extra credit? No. I do not give extra credit assignments. If you do poorly on a test, the best thing you can do is to spend more time preparing for subsequent tests and other regular assignments. Extra-credit assignments, to the extent that they consume more of your time, could make it harder rather than easier to do well in the class.

7. Do you give make-up exams? No make-up exams will be given except in cases of documented illness. Please do not ask me to reschedule an exam because of travel plans or other work due on the same day.

8. Can I have an extension on my paper? I do accept late papers in some cases, but they are assessed a significant late penalty. See the syllabus/web page for the specific class in question for details. It is up to you to decide if the potentially improved quality of a late paper will offset the impact of the late penalty.

9. If I’m ill or have another legitimate reason for missing class, is it an excused absence? In most of my classes, I allow for a certain number of absences without penalty. Those “allowed absences” are intended to cover illness, job interviews, family emergencies, etc. They should not be frittered away. I won’t ask you why you missed a particular class. In turn, please don’t ask me for extra “allowed absences” if you already used them up just to take a day off. The only possible exceptions would be cases of verified long-term illnesses or similar emergencies.

10. Is there a secret to doing well in this class? The only secret is time and effort. Remember that college is not high school where the practice often is to have students prepare for exams simply by memorizing work sheets. While I will give you some guidance about how to prepare for exams, in college a greater burden is on you to read, to think about, and to integrate materials from classes and readings. This takes time and effort. Most importantly, don’t make excuses. If you do poorly on a test, please don't say to your professor and, even more importantly, don't say to yourself that: "I don't test well." If you do perform poorly it is almost always because you don't know the material, and that in turn is almost always due to a failure to put in the necessary time to prepare.