Course prerequisites are qualifications students must meet in order to enroll in a course. For instance, a prerequisite for a French literature course taught in French may be two years of French language coursework. Typical course prerequisites include passing grades in less-advanced classes or passing performance on a placement test. Prerequisites generally appear on the course syllabus and in the official course description in the school's catalogue.
College students don't spend as much time in the classroom as high school students, but instructors still consider class time an essential part of learning. In smaller classes, instructors may take attendance and have policies in place for penalizing students who miss an excessive number of classes. Student participation in class often factors into final grades, particularly in small classes. Depending on the instructor, appropriate participation can involve a willingness and ability to answer questions in class or quality work in group activities and class discussions.
College classes require more out-of-class reading and studying than do high school classes: exams and assignments often presuppose knowledge of material covered in the required reading, but not explicitly discussed in class. Full-time college students should expect to spend about 26 hours a week studying. Reading assignments, and the dates when they are to be completed, generally appear on the course syllabus. Instructors recommend completing readings before classes when those readings will be discussed: this enables students to participate more effectively and better understand lectures.
In college courses, students are graded primarily on their performance on homework assignments, exams and research projects or papers. Homework assignments are typically short and frequent (expect about one a week in a typical course), and allow both students and instructors to assess progress and identify problematic material as the course moves forward. Exams weigh more heavily into students' final grades; a final exam can be worth 30 percent or more of one's course grade. Projects and papers give students the chance to show they can apply the knowledge learned in class creatively. Sometimes major projects or papers take the place of a final exam. Instructors expect such projects to involve several weeks of research and writing.