<p>This on the page you linked to explains it:</p>
<p>*Note: the above is the minimal list of readings to be covered in all sections and to be included in the final examination. Individual instructors may require additional readings or use the choice periods to catch up.</p>
<p>But maybe that’s not what actually happens :(</p>
<p>Almost all lit hum sections are aligned with one another, covering virtually all the same books at the same times. Sometimes they deviate by a week or two, and I do know someone who didn’t cover -one- of the required books (did another in its stead), but otherwise you can expect this to be a strict syllabus rather than an encouraged guideline. This is ensured by the fact that every lit hum student takes the same semester final (each term).</p>
<p>Yay! LitHum looks incredibly easy then… i’ve read almost all the books, and as for the Aeneid, i translated and almost memorized (in Latin) the whole thing in our AP Vergil class</p>
<p>hmm, i was just gifted a copy of the Iliad from columbia college in the mail. I’m not quite sure why though because im too lazy to read the letter that came with it… anyone catching on to the serious irony here.</p>
<p>"Do teachers actually cover all the books on the syllabus? Or do teachers all have their individual assignments? "</p>
<p>Yes, they cover all the required books. Some cover some of the optional ones, some cover all of the optional ones, and some cover none of the optional ones. Buy only the required ones, and buy the optional ones if necessary (you’ll find out what you need when you get your syllabus). </p>
<p>Check out columbia.dogears.net to buy directly from other students and save a lot of money.</p>
<p>you will end up covering the entire book in class. the professor will not leave out chapters. I recommend doing as much lit hum reading as you can NOW - before school starts.</p>