What Is Expected of You the Student?

Attendance at Lectures
Each course requires 2 hours of lectures and 1 hour of tutorials per week. Though attendance at lectures is not compulsory based on University regulations, they are delivered with the understanding that students are attending. The attendance at lectures is crucial, as it is at this point that you are introduced to the main ideas that will guide your reading. Additionally, the results of students have suggested that those persons who do not attend lectures do not perform as well as those who do.

Tutorial Attendance and Participation
In the tutorial session, there is small group interaction with approximately 15 students to each class. Here, a more in-depth discussion of the topics discussed in the lectures is carried out. Tutorials are therefore not to be seen as substitutes to lectures. The students lead the discussion with the tutor serving as a facilitator and clarifier of ideas. The format of the majority of the philosophy tutorials is that of a presentation followed by discussion. It is important for persons to prepare for all the topics to be discussed to ensure that they get a good grasp of the topics covered in the course. Tutorials are mandatory. As with lectures, regular attendance at tutorials is crucial in excelling in your courses.

Research
The aim of a philosophy essay is to present well-reasoned arguments to support a conclusion. This can only be reasonably done if there is an adequate amount of information available on the various sides of the issue to allow you to put forward such an argument. It is therefore essential for you to read outside of lecture and tutorial discussions. The philosophy section of the library should become very familiar to you once you are doing a philosophy course. Additionally, other resources such as journals, both in the library and at the library website should be consulted. The internet may also be used as a supplementary source of information.