Importance of a good syllabus

Studying without syllabus is like driving a car with no knowledge about the root map. You never know where you end up, and you do not really know when you’re going to reach your destination. The same holds true in academics because, a student might end up being poor without the knowledge of what and how much to study. A syllabus or the curriculum provides the root map of various aspects pertaining to the subject. A best approach to start the semester is by beginning the year with a complete orientation of the subject through the syllabus. It must be an instrument to get students and teachers to learn something in common. What is a good syllabus? A syllabus is like a blue print allows an academician to plan things for the whole year. It helps the instructor and student to coordinate each other while planning the course content. A good syllabus describes the learning goals along with how to fulfill each goal. To do this, it provides appropriate citation, referencing, time scheduling, outline of detailed assessments and the list goes on. In the higher standard, the syllabus acts like a guide through the accurate description of balance between the theory and practical. It helps to convey a clear-cut boundary of weightage between the theory and practicum. This even more true when it comes to subjects that involves a lot of laboratory practice; Biology, physics, biotechnology, chemistry and some vocational courses. From the student view point, it gives freedom for them to prepare a daily, weekly, monthly and annual schedule based o their personal and family circumstances; as each student tis different in many ways. Uses of syllabus 1. A syllabus creates the balance between the curricular and co-curricular activities by providing stipulated schedule required for the successful studies. 2. For the teachers it provides scope to stretch beyond the academics by helping them to plan some field activities, institutional visits and project based tasks. 3. Syllabus establishes a good teacher-learner communication, without which it is highly impossible to narrow down the communication. 4. It helps to prioritize and streamline the different topics into the most important and less important ones. 5. It helps to keep a good pace with learning as a student can trace where exactly he is which can also help to outlines the student’s responsibilities. 6. It ensures discipline in both students and staff as it acts like a guide or tool of direction into which everyone has to stick to. Role of syllabus in scoring better marks 1. A curriculum describes the skeleton of topics and concepts including where to get the information and how to approach a each of the topic. 2. A student can able to easily understand the weightage allotted to different units and chapters which saves a lot of time by avoiding redundant or less important topics. 3. It narrates the question paper design, format of answering and the way to present the topic including the depth of topic 4. In some boards syllabus provides tips and tricks tom study each chapter, evaluation and assessment methodologies. This serves the very prime purpose-scoring better in exams. 5. Students can craft some mind maps by keeping the syllabus as foundation.