Expectations
In Classroom some respects college is much less formal than high school. One place this tends to be
most visible is in classroom expectations.
Class attendance may not be as rigidly enforced as in high school
Subjects which were avoided in high school may be frankly discussed in class.
Faculty tend to have a more casual relationship with students.
For the most part, no one cares how you dress, though that may vary depending
on the class.
Students sometimes mistakenly think that this informality means that anything goes. It
doesn't. Here are a few general guidelines for what is appropriate.
Go to class. You've heard it before. You need to go to class. And you need to go
regularly. Most students miss an occasional class. Most faculty are understanding.
But faculty aren't understanding when you fall into a pattern of showing up for a
couple of classes and then missing a couple of classes. They aren't very
understanding when you miss two or three weeks and then show up wanting to
make up work.
Go to class on time. Most faculty hate to be interrupted during a lecture or class
activity, and a late entry is an interruption. Some faculty give new assignments at
the start of class, and you don't want to be in the position of having to ask for
something to be repeated. An occasional late arrival shouldn't be a problem, but
try not to make a habit of it.
If you miss class, don't go up to the professor and say "Did I miss anything?"
Other variations are "Did we do anything important?" or "Are we going to do
anything important tomorrow?" Most faculty members have heard these lines so
often that they've stopped being funny to them. Faculty assume that everything
they have scheduled for a class is important. You should, too. Instead you should
say "I'm sorry I had to miss class. Are there any assignments I need to (or can)
make up?"
Don't throw away the course information you receive at the start of class. If
you have received a class syllabus, be particularly sure to hang on to it. Many
faculty prepare a day by day syllabus for the semester and it will tell you what
material you'll be studying on a given day. Faculty who hand out a syllabus may
not bother to announce in class what the next assignment is or when the next test
is scheduled--it's on the syllabus.
Go to class prepared. This seems so obvious that it sounds stupid to say it. But
think of it this way. If you had to pay to get into each class the way you pay to get
into a movie, you'd be dropping in over three dollars each time you walked
through the door. You might as well get what you've paid for.
Don't sleep in class. This is a variation on being prepared. It's a toss-up as to
whether not or it is better to skip class or to go to class and sleep through it. Most
faculty find it a bit insulting when students fall asleep in class. Come to think of
it, you're probably better off staying in bed. Or better yet, if you can't stay awake
in class, drop it and save everyone some grief.
Participate in class discussions to the best of your ability. Try to be an active
participant in your education. Most college courses want to encourage you to be
an active, critical thinker. Sitting passively in class doesn't take full advantage of
the opportunity you are given.
Don't talk in class if your conversation is not part of a classroom discussion.
Talking when someone else is talking--be it the faculty member or another student
in class--is rude. Don't do it.
If the professor is late for class, wait. It doesn't seem fair. Students are expected
to be on time for class, and faculty can be late. Well, it's not fair, but that's life.
Some faculty tend to be a few minutes late for class. Some are always early.
Sometimes a faculty member doesn't show up--usually because of illness--and
word doesn't get to the class. So how long should you wait? Ten to fifteen minutes
is a good rule of thumb. If you are uncertain, you can usually check with a
secretary to see if the faculty member is unable to make a class.
Turn off all ringers on cell phones, pagers, and other noisy devices during
class. Dont answer your phone during class unless its an emergency in which
case you should leave the classroom before answering the phone.
When using computers in a classroom, stay on task. Dont play games, surf
the internet, etc. See ISUs Code of Computer Ethics and Acceptable Use
(http://policy.iastate.edu/policy/it/ethics/).
Dont share or copy homework. Working together is not allowed unless the
assignment is specifically given as a group assignment. Some classes will use
both individual and group work: make sure youre clear about whats group work.
Plagiarism is a form a Academic Dishonesty and is a serious offense. For more
information see: http://www.dso.iastate.edu/ja/academic/misconduct.html
Address faculty as Doctor or Professor. This isnt high school so you wont be
addressing faculty as Mrs. or Mr.; instead its best to assume that Dr. Smith or
Prof. Smith is appropriate until told otherwise. Only if an instructor has
specifically told you they want to be addressed by their first name should you do
so.
Email etiquette. An email to a professor is not an instant message; therefore
dont treat it as such. In each email, start with a greeting, Hello Prof. X,, use
complete sentences and correct grammar, end with a closing , Sincerely, and
with your name (as you would like to be addressed).