English 287:  Great Books

Using the Course Schedule

Here are some important things to keep in mind in using the course schedule.

• Reading assignments should be completed before you come to class on the day the assignment is listed.  

It will be impossible to understand what goes on in class if you haven't already read the assignment before you come to the discussion.

Even more importantly, you must come prepared to class in order to hold up your end of the discussion that will take place in pairs and small groups during almost every class session.

• What's required, and what's only recommended.  In the course schedule, you will find two kinds of assignments -- required and recommended.  Assignments that are recommended only show up only from time to time, and are clearly indicated as such.  Unless an assignment is specifically indicated as recommended, it is required.  Almost all the assignments you will encounter in the schedule are required.

• All page references in the assignments are to the editions of our readings listed in the Texts for the Course.  Except where indicated there, you are welcome to use other editions of the works we are reading; but if you do this, you are responsible for locating in your edition the passages referred to in the course schedule in the edition(s) I have designated.  The other kind of reference you will find in the assignments is to something to be found on the Web, whether on our course site or somewhere beyond.  Just click on the link provided.  If the assignment linked to is short and simple, you can just read it on-line.  But for longer and more complicated readings (for example, for discussions of critical concepts), you'll do better to make yourself a copy (by printing it out), so that you can work through it slowly, make notes in the margin, and review it at leisure.

• An important caution:  you'll find it useful to print out a copy of the Course Schedule (or individual sections of it).  But when you look over your copy, keep in mind that anything that appears as underlined is a web link that you can only follow up by getting on-line and clicking on the word or phrase that's underlined!  

I never use underlining on a web page for emphasis.  (Instead I use bold, italics, colored font, or large font, or some combination of these.  If you don't keep this in mind, you'll be hopelessly confused in trying to make use of pages you have printed out!)

• This schedule is tentative. I may make adjustments in reading or writing assignments if I think doing so best serves the interests of the course as it develops. I will notify you of these through our e-mail listserv or through the Message of the Day. 

For this reason you need to make it a habit to look into your e-mail at least once a day during the semester.  And you'll want to be sure that you have set up your profile to make sure that your campus e-mail is being sent to where you actually read your correspondence.  For information on how to do this, see "Keep your e-mail address up-to-date." 

• Prep sheets for exams.  About a week before the date cited an examination, you will receive special information (a "prep sheet") designed to help you to review in a focused way for each exam.  

Please note that "quizzes" are distinct from "exams."  There will be no prep sheets issued for quizzes, which have the simple (but important) purpose of giving students substantial credit for keeping up with the reading assignments.

    Return to the Course Home Page (English 287:  Great Books).

    Go to the Course Schedule.

  Suggestions are welcome.  Please send your comments to lyman@ksu.edu .

   Contents copyright © 2005 by Lyman A. Baker.

Permission is granted for non-commercial educational use; all other rights reserved.

  This page last updated 25 August 2005 .