We've all had those professors that say that attendance is mandatory. I get it, you want students to show up and you don't want to be teaching a group of only 10 students. But, come on. Emergencies happen and life happens.
While some professors can be sneaky about this rule, claiming that attendance isn't mandatory even though there will be a quiz at the end of each period. Obviously, if you don't show up to class, you do not get credit for the quiz. But guess what? Its the same things as taking attendance!
While I could understand this in high school because we are not paying for school and we're children, so what else would we be doing with our lives? But college is way different. I can have a professor that posts their slides after every class and still take attendance to make sure students showed up. Even though, going over the lecture notes on your own can sometimes be just as effective as sitting through a two-hour lecture.
A couple of weeks ago, I had to miss my film screening for my English media course. While I thought it was a good idea to go get some Mexican food before a three-hour class, I do not know. But, this screening class is unlike any other. Within the screening time, we watch a movie and live tweet while watching it so others can point things out as it pertains to the course topics. When I realized I could not be in a classroom for that long because of my physical state, I emailed the professor that I could work from my apartment. Still, order the movie on Amazon Prime and live tweet along with the class, just in the comfort of my own apartment.
I think that's fair, wouldn't you? But instead, I got insistent emails that I needed a doctors note in order to get an 'excused' attendance. I'm sorry, it is normal to go see a doctor after you had some bad Mexican food? I thought that you simply stay in close proximity to the bathroom and let it pass. But apparently, that's not the way it goes when it comes to excused absences.
Going to class is obviously important, but life happens. Professors need to stop grading students on attendance. Instead, they should be graded on how well they know the material learned and their understanding of it. I am paying THOUSANDS of dollars to go to this school, do I really need to be penalized if I miss a class or two? I get that they allow you to miss a nominal of class because life happens, but if you surpass that you automatically fail the class? So to the professor that still grades students on attendance, please reconsider.
