The Secret Syllabus: A Guide to the Unwritten Rules of College Success

Drawing on more than 30 years in academic life, including as university professors, Phelan (life sciences, UCLA; What Is Life? A Guide to Biology) and Burnham (finance, Chapman Univ.; Mean Markets and Lizard Brains) offer practical, supportive tips that college students can use when facing unfamiliar norms and unwritten rules of academia. The authors offer real-life scenarios for improving academic performance through effective notetaking, study skills, language learning, term papers, and exam strategies. The authors argue that building relationships with professors is more valuable than good grades. Strategies for developing professional relationships with professors begin with demonstrating positive classroom behaviors, effectively using office hours, and maintaining appropriate contact which may lead to recommendations, research opportunities, and internships. Readers learn that resiliency, the ability to recover from and persevere in the face of setbacks, is essential for both academic and future career success. Lively discussions are interspersed with anecdotes from the authors’ academic experiences and those of their students. With the prevalence of online courses, it is unfortunate that the authors do not address how to develop and maintain professor relationships in a virtual environment.