From grades K-12, students are required to attend classes in school. Once you get to the university level, you are seen as an adult and have the freedom to create your own class schedule and plan your academics around your day to day life as you see fit. To those people who are not on a full scholarship or those who have attended a private school growing up, having to pay for your education is a thing that many do not have experience with. It's a new concept.
One would think that since you are the one paying for your education, that you could choose to attend or not attend your classes as often as you'd like without penalty to your grade from your professors. In many situations, however, this is not the case, and that is unfair. Listed below are 5 reasons why attendance in college should not be mandatory.
1. We are adults.
Society tells us that after high school we are adults, so why are we not treated as so? It's not the university's job to monitor whether or not students are going to class. In life after college, there isn't going to be anyone to tell you what to do or where to be at what time, your future is determined by your own choices. Students need to learn to be accountable and to take responsibility for their actions on their own. Also, there are many times when professors are not able to attend class and it's not seen as a huge deal, but when a student misses a class, they are penalized.
2. Life happens.
Contrary to popular belief, school is not the only thing consuming a student's life. There are so many other things they may have to do aside from classes that can get in the way. Some students need to work a job on the side to be able to pay tuition, some have to attend team sports games to meet a the requirements for a scholarship. Other examples car troubles, injuries, and having family emergencies. Should students have to put all other important responsibilities on the back burner, and not be able to miss a class or two because attendance is mandatory? No way!
3. Mental Health.
Mental health is super important to one's success and well being. Perhaps you had to stay overtime at work and did not get enough sleep so you decide to not go to your 8:00 am class. What if you had to pull an all nighter just to finish assignments for multiple classes. Maybe you have a lot going on at home and in your personal life. These are common things that students go through and it can take a toll on their mental state. Adding in the requirement to be in class each day is just another stress inducer getting added into the mayhem. Sometimes you just need a day to yourself to reboot. You should never have to put your mental health second. Should we really have to worry about failing a class because we needed to sleep in one day? Gimme a break.
4. We are the ones paying.
Being able to attend college is a privilege and an expensive one at that. Because it's the students or families of students paying for their education, professors should not have a say in what each student chooses to do with the time they are paying for. As stated in point #1, students are adults and if they choose to constantly waste their own money and not go to class or get their work done without probable reason, that is on them. They are responsible for dealing with the consequences of that choice, whether it be with their parents or reflected in their performance on tests and assignments. Students are paying for an education, not a glorified babysitter.
5. Some lectures aren't valuable.
On so many occasions students attend classes just for the professor to read directly off powerpoint slides that are available to students online. What is the point of coming to a class just to listen to someone read something that you can read on your own and in the comfort of your own home? When you can teach yourself a lesson way better than a professor could, there's a problem.
