Prerequisite(s): Instructor permission
Repeatable for Add’l Credit? Yes - Total Times: 1
Focus on the major concepts. Continually ask why and strive to understand. Take time to think about the reading. Learn to schedule your time effectively. Adhere to the reading schedule. DO NOT wait until the chapter/section is complete to start homework; complete problems as you read and in conjunction with the discussion of material in the lecture. If you plan now (meaning day one) to spend time studying each day the material will be much easier to understand, leading to success on exams and in class. I can’t do this for you.
Chemistry tutors are available. For more information see: /
––Remember: Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part––
Experience mandates the following rules to be established.
These rules may be altered or added to at any time with applicable disclosure.
You signed up for this course and in doing so agree to the terms found in this syllabus. These include agreeing that it is your responsibility to: attend class; take tests on the assigned day, and turn in assignments when due. You also agree it is not my responsibility to alter the outlined requirements, expectations, or due dates for this course.
Electronic devices not related to the learning environment are not allowed. Cell phones, smartwatches, etc. are not to be used in class as a calculator. Buy a proper calculator. I am not going to babysit individuals. If you bring a phone out I will assume you are not being challenged and will provide a quiz to the class to better engage you. Further implications include loss of grade curving and bonus projects, and in extreme cases loss of the object, grade drop, or dismissal from class.
Disruptive behavior cannot be tolerated, and participants will be asked to leave; this includes but is not limited to: texting, talking, sleeping, studying for other courses, arriving late, ringing phones, playing games, distracting activities on a computer, wearing head/earphones, or picking your nose. Don’t embarrass me by making me call you out!
Cheating will not be tolerated. See the academic integrity section.
Late work will be accepted for up to 6 days after the stated due date only if you agree to a loss of 30% of the original value for the assignment. If you don’t agree, then don’t ask me to accept it. Late work includes the following causes: “It was done, but I left it ____ (fill in the blank)”; “I didn’t realize it was due”; “I wasn’t here when you announced the due date”.
Personal matters that may interfere with you completing this course or an assignment are just that, personal. While I’ll try to be empathetic and understanding you need to understand that everybody has challenges. If you know that challenges will arrive during this course, like a birth, wedding, vacation, or are currently experiencing multiple challenges you are encouraged now not to take this course.
Stapling work is your responsibility; however, I am willing to perform this task for you for 2 points per staple. Also, if you need help organizing the pages of an assignment in the required order, I will do this for 2 points.
8½ x 11 paper is the standard in the United States. For the good of the country and your grade, assignments are to be turned in on this paper. It may have lines, but no frayed edges. I am willing to pull off the annoying ‘chads’ from spiral-bound notebooks for 2 points.
Translation services for those who don’t see the need to write clearly or organize their work in such a manner to make it clear what is being done are charged at a rate of up to 20% of the assignment's total value. (10% legibility, 10% organization)
Complete sentences are the only way to answer a question. To encourage complete sentences a charge of 1 point per infraction will be assessed for lack of a complete sentence or phrase.
Email etiquette, while not a rule, has an academic impact. Failure to use proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary reflects poorly on your academic abilities. Don’t send me an email that you wouldn’t send as part of a professional school application or employment application, SRSLY AFAIK, LOL.
University students are held to a higher standard. The above rules may seem childish or unfair, but as initially stated experience mandates such measures. Ideally, these rules protect those who are here to get a higher education from those who have yet to realize they are at a university. If you don’t agree to abide by these rules, you have a couple of options; take the class from a different instructor, suffer the outlined consequences, call me bad names, give me a bad evaluation, or change majors. If you agree to these rules, I promise a better education and skills that will be invaluable in all aspects of life.