As a college student, one concept that I’ve found relatively difficult to grasp is the idea of incorporating attendance into one's grade for a course.

In my opinion, this results in nothing more than forcing ill students to attend class meetings that they are not well enough to be going to and also facilitates the spread of disease among classmates. How much content is a student with a swollen throat and pounding headache actually retaining during a lecture hour? Who is this benefitting from the student's presence, and in contrast, who is this ultimately hurting?

Additionally, it has been proven time and time again that every pupil learns differently. While attending classes and listening to an instructor might greatly benefit one college student, others may garner little improvement from this style of learning. Why I, myself, need to be present in a classroom in order to grasp various concepts, I do not believe that this is necessarily the environment for everyone. If a student can purchase a textbook, learn the information independently, and preform adequately on exams, why should he or she be penalized for not patronizing a professor through face-to-face contact?

Education is the greatest power one can possess, and these thoughts are just something to ponder when moving along a scholarly journey.