Wake up and go to class

Some of my peers are rebels: They attended the first day of their classes and haven’t been back since. On the first day of spring semester, I arrived early to all of my classes and still had trouble finding a seat.

Now, though, I can come to class 15 minutes late and still have my choice of almost any seat I desire in the lecture hall.

Exaggeration? Maybe. But the classrooms are definitely not filled to capacity like they appeared to be the first day.

Sure, students tend to drop classes after day one, but the main reason my classes have emptied out is lack of student enthusiasm. I’m sure many of these students are intelligent, but if they make it out of their classes with anything above a D I’ll be shocked.

Attendance is the only way to familiarize oneself with a professor’s style. Once a student figures out his or her instructor’s personality, the class becomes easier. The students who correspond with instructors via e-mail and think they’ve established a relationship will be in for a rude awakening once midterms roll around. Teachers tend to offer helpful hints and extra advice during class to give the students who make it out of bed the upper hand.

Students can also benefit from getting to know their professors on a personal level. We have no idea how many resources instructors can provide for us until we ask – in person. If a professor recognizes a student, he or she might be more enthusiastic about offering help.

There aren’t very many substantial reasons for students to skip class, and instructors know that. Of course, extenuating circumstances or health issues are excusable, but sorry kids, that doesn’t include hangovers. When students skip class because they partied too hard the night before, the effects aren’t only detrimental to them.

According to the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, when students are absent, everyone suffers: truants, classmates and professors alike. The students who do attend class feel uncomfortable due to the lackluster, quieter environment of the class and their irritable professor.

When a class has low attendance, its productivity level is automatically lower since fewer minds are functioning together. 

Additionally, many course syllabi indicate that attendance factors directly into final grades. Some professors who take attendance penalize students by weighing attendance heavily when calculating grades at the end of a term.

So go to class – whether you’re prepared or not. You could be enlightened in ways you never imagined. Even if the professor doesn’t inspire you, perhaps a fellow student can.

Classes are definitely more boring than a school night on the town, but are a much more productive way to spend time. Go out if you must. I’d be a hypocrite if I advised otherwise. But understand that our tuition money is going toward our classes, not an open tab at the bar.