What do you think a syllabus is for?

A syllabus (pl. syllabi or syllabuses; from Latin syllabus "list" probably of Greek origin), is an outline and summary of topics to be covered in an education or training course. It is descriptive (unlike the prescriptive or specific curriculum). A syllabus is often either set out by an exam board, or prepared by the professor who supervises or controls the course quality.

Seeing as this work has greek origins, let's go ahead and accept that this word has been around for a long time.  I think we can also accept that professors have been distributing syllabi on the first day of class for many many years.  This is not a new practice.  So, now that we've moved into the virtual age, the fact that we look at the syllabus on a large computer screen should not be any more confusing that seeing that syllabus in paper form (which students are encouraged to print from home).  So why don't you understand that you should read the syllabus and always refer to it when you have questions?

Why do you not understand the following things:

1.  The syllabus says if you arrive more than 5 minutes late, you're absent for the day.  Why do you come in 15 minutes late everyday and then argue with me that you haven't missed any classes.  Do you think what I talk about in the first 15 minutes is expendable information?  Its' not.....it's arguably the most important information and you're missing it.

2.  The syllabus says that you cannot make up a test or quiz.  Why do you repeatedly ask me if you can make up the quiz you missed because you slept in yesterday?

3.  The syllabus tells you what grammar points and what pages in the book we'll cover each day.  Why do you insist of bugging me with the question "I was absent yesterday, did we do anything important?  What did we cover?"  

Do you think I like making a syllabus. It's not very fun, but it has all the information you'll need for the whole semester.  I also discuss that information on the first day of class......if you had bothered to show up and open your ears you would have heard that discussion.  So why, oh why, don't you refer to that when you should?!  It's worked since before you can even fathom.  Why do you think you're above it?!