In high school, skipping class wasn’t the end of the world. If you came up with a halfway decent excuse then they would let you make up the work, no problem. You went to the same classes five days a week so missing one 45 minute long class wasn’t a huge deal. All of these same teachers whose classes you skipped in high school loved to remind you that you can’t skip class in college. Are they right?
There are two answers to this question. Yes and No.
Yes, skipping class is a horrible idea in college. These same high school teachers liked to say that for every hour in class, you need to spend three hours outside of class studying, doing homework, and reviewing notes. This seems like a pretty accurate statement. So, it wouldn’t make sense to skip class if you have to do so much work outside of class. What are you going to work with in those three hours outside of class if you don’t actually go to class? Attending class gives you the teacher’s perspective on the material. For a math or science course, it can provide explanation for things you don’t understand or know how to do. For a history or political science course you get to listen to discussion and the professor’s take on current events. The main thing that you miss out on when not attending class seems to be discussion and the opportunity to ask questions. Some teachers take attendance or use software like Tophat or an iClicker to make sure that students attend the course regularly. An attendance policy is usually a sign that they feel being in class is important to your success in learning the material. It’s also important to note that skipping a single class can cost you $100 dollars in tuition or more if you do the math.
However, many people think attending class can sometimes be a waste of time. Professors usually go over information assigned in readings that are done outside of class. It can tend to be a review if you do all your homework and read ahead of time. Sometimes even the discussion is on things you already understand. Many large classes just lecture for 50 to 70 minutes. This lecture could be new information, but many times it’s a review of the reading or the lecturer has a lot of overlap with previous lectures. In some courses, class time is used to practice or apply the material used outside of class. This practice and application can easily be done outside of class in many cases. Practice and application is commonly a part of math or language classes. If you do your assigned work outside of class it can often feel like you’re wasting your time in class because it’s a review of material you already spend your own time learning.
Skipping class isn’t always the right thing to do, but it’s not always the wrong thing to do either. The answer to this question, like many other questions, is it’s your life. Make the best choice for you. When your friends skip class don’t judge because you don’t know the situation and you would hope they wouldn’t judge you for never missing a class either. Each class you take in college is structured in its own unique way and therefore should be approached in a way that best fits the class. The question of to skip or not to skip is a great reminder that not everyone learns or excels in the same way. Figure out how you learn best and use that as a starting point for approaching each of your courses, remember to adjust to the course and as always, do your best.
