(All Schools) Attendance Policies

[FlutterbyFlyHi]

Hello! Let me preface this by saying that no, I am not planning to never go to class. ^_^ However, I have three young children, who obviously are my priority. I'm trying to look at this realistically, and know that there will be days that I need to be with my kids rather than be gone at school all day, every day. In deciding where to apply for vet school, I'd like to know from students about the attendance policies, as this could very likely be a deciding factor for me.

So, which schools have mandatory attendance (and do they actually take attendance?) Which schools don't? Which ones have the lectures posted online so going to every single lecture is not necessary?

**Edited to add: I am aware of what each year entails, I understand attendance in lab is a no-brainer, I am not asking "how to go to vet school with kids," or expecting anyone to make allowances "just because I have kids." Perhaps my questions weren't clear enough, so let me add that they are questions about lecture attendance in first and second year. I guess I thought that was pretty straightforward, and if I had wanted to know about labs, clinicals, rotation, etc. etc. etc. I would have asked. My apologies.

Thank you!

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[WhtsThFrequency]

Hello! Let me preface this by saying that no, I am not planning to never go to class. ^_^ However, I have three young children, who obviously are my priority. I'm trying to look at this realistically, and know that there will be days that I need to be with my kids rather than be gone at school all day, every day. In deciding where to apply for vet school, I'd like to know from students about the attendance policies, as this could very likely be a deciding factor for me.

So, which schools have mandatory attendance (and do they actually take attendance?) Which schools don't? Which ones have the lectures posted online so going to every single lecture is not necessary?

Thank you!

I would be more concerned with fourth year. Will you have someone to look after them during that time? Because I guarantee you that you will be at work all day, everyday (and often nights too) during that time. You can't expect your colleagues to cover for you in fourth year just because you have kids.

Lectures aside (I know several schools such as VMCVM do webcasting now of lectures), what about labs? You shouldn't really skip those, and they are often large chunks of afternoons......so that is something to take into account. Just something to think about while you are getting a support system in place. I don't know how you would do vet school with three young kids without a very, very solid one.

 

[FlutterbyFlyHi]

I did say that I wasn't planning to never go to class. Currently I'm in school, I work, I run a national breed rescue, a private local rescue, and help take care of my grandmother, in addition to raising a 5 year old, 3 year old, and one year old (and homeschooling the oldest), all pretty much on my own. I already have plans for a nanny and have already told my husband he needs to be home more than a couple nights a week once I start vet school. I'm just asking about attendance policies for those times I may have a sick little one, they have an appointment or special class, or I think I need more study time, and obviously it would be mostly for lectures.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I did say that I wasn't planning to never go to class. Currently I'm in school, I work, I run a national breed rescue, a private local rescue, and help take care of my grandmother, in addition to raising a 5 year old, 3 year old, and one year old (and homeschooling the oldest), all pretty much on my own. I already have plans for a nanny and have already told my husband he needs to be home more than a couple nights a week once I start vet school. I'm just asking about attendance policies for those times I may have a sick little one, they have an appointment or special class, or I think I need more study time, and obviously it would be mostly for lectures. But thanks for presuming I haven't thought ahead (though I understand your advice if I were someone asking about having kids during vet school, and it would be good info for someone that for some reason had not already thought of those things).

The trend of pre-vets getting defensive when simple questions are asked continues.

I never insinuated you would never go to class, nor did I assume you had not made any plans. I was pointing out that attendance in fourth year is a completely different beast than attendance in years 1-3 and that such a thing is a very important thing to consider, especially with three kids (plus homeschooling and elder care and a husband who evidently has a very time-consuming job). Stop, do not pass Go, do not collect $100, and leave the defensive attitude at the door.

You don't have the list all of your current activities as a sort of humble-bragging way to convince me that you can juggle multiple things simply because I brought up future issues for you to consider.

 

[FlutterbyFlyHi]

As does making assumptions and offering unsolicited advice. I am well aware of the requirements for each year. Were I not, I would research and possibly ask in forums such as this (as I would think anyone planning to go in to vet school would do). Rather than answering the questions I asked, you gave me information I already know, questioning whether I had given any thought about my children (who by fourth year would be quite a bit older...but I figured that bit of info was a given... LOL), and stating that my colleagues wouldn't "cover for me just because I have kids," as though I would ever expect them to. You also pointed out that I shouldn't skip labs, as if I were thinking about doing so. Who on earth would even consider skipping labs?? Seems like a silly thing to say. ^_^

Lest we forget, these were my questions:
"So, which schools have mandatory attendance (and do they actually take attendance?) Which schools don't? Which ones have the lectures posted online so going to every single lecture is not necessary?"

Had I asked about what kind of time commitment was required, or ideas for going through vet school while raising kids, then your potentially thought-invoking questions would be appropriate. (And perhaps for someone else that may read this thread and actually has those questions, it's probably useful information.)

 

[DVMDream]

I did say that I wasn't planning to never go to class. Currently I'm in school, I work, I run a national breed rescue, a private local rescue, and help take care of my grandmother, in addition to raising a 5 year old, 3 year old, and one year old (and homeschooling the oldest), all pretty much on my own. I already have plans for a nanny and have already told my husband he needs to be home more than a couple nights a week once I start vet school. I'm just asking about attendance policies for those times I may have a sick little one, they have an appointment or special class, or I think I need more study time, and obviously it would be mostly for lectures. But thanks for presuming I haven't thought ahead (though I understand your advice if I were someone asking about having kids during vet school, and it would be good info for someone that for some reason had not already thought of those things).

Unfortunately, there are mandatory labs to attend, some mandatory classes and as WTF stated, clinical year is a whole different beast. You can't just miss because of a sick kid or leave to pick up kids from school, etc. Clinical year or years, you need to be in the hospital for most of the day usually 6AM or earlier all the way to 8PM or later. You'll have on call duties. And there are some overnight shifts where you are there 7PM to 7AM, again sometimes earlier and sometimes the shift lasts longer.

 

[DVMDream]

As does making assumptions and offering unsolicited advice. I am well aware of the requirements for each year. Were I not, I would research and possibly ask in forums such as this (as I would think anyone planning to go in to vet school would do). Rather than answering the questions I asked, you gave me information I already know, questioning whether I had given any thought about my children (who by fourth year would be quite a bit older...but I figured that bit of info was a given... LOL), and stating that my colleagues wouldn't "cover for me just because I have kids," as though I would ever expect them to. You also pointed out that I shouldn't skip labs, as if I were thinking about doing so. Who on earth would even consider skipping labs?? Seems like a silly thing to say. ^_^

Lest we forget, these were my questions:
"So, which schools have mandatory attendance (and do they actually take attendance?) Which schools don't? Which ones have the lectures posted online so going to every single lecture is not necessary?"

Had I asked about what kind of time commitment was required, or ideas for going through vet school while raising kids, then your potentially thought-invoking questions would be appropriate. (And perhaps for someone else that may read this thread and actually has those questions, it's probably useful information.)

You didn't state that you knew any of these things. So instead of getting pissed at someone mentioning these things when you didn't state you knew them, how about a thank you for the advice, do you know any schools that have mandatory attendance and if so, what for? You can't expect us to know what you do and do not know unless you tell us.

 

[VIN-Foundation]

I would start with the college's website, which will often have a link to their academic policies. But I can tell you that at many places, each individual instructor sets the attendance policy for their class.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

As does making assumptions and offering unsolicited advice. I am well aware of the requirements for each year. Were I not, I would research and possibly ask in forums such as this (as I would think anyone planning to go in to vet school would do). Rather than answering the questions I asked, you gave me information I already know, questioning whether I had given any thought about my children (who by fourth year would be quite a bit older...but I figured that bit of info was a given... LOL), and stating that my colleagues wouldn't "cover for me just because I have kids," as though I would ever expect them to. You also pointed out that I shouldn't skip labs, as if I were thinking about doing so. Who on earth would even consider skipping labs?? Seems like a silly thing to say. ^_^

Lest we forget, these were my questions:
"So, which schools have mandatory attendance (and do they actually take attendance?) Which schools don't? Which ones have the lectures posted online so going to every single lecture is not necessary?"

Had I asked about what kind of time commitment was required, or ideas for going through vet school while raising kids, then your potentially thought-invoking questions would be appropriate. (And perhaps for someone else that may read this thread and actually has those questions, it's probably useful information.)

What on earth are you on about? I never questioned your dedication to your kids in the least. The "unsolicited" part of my advice was meant to get a better picture of your situation, and you obviously took offense at that for whatever insecure reason you may have.

You asked about skipping lectures for kid-related stuff. I told you that several schools do at least webcasting, but cautioned such a luxury is often not afforded to things outside of lecture time. The correct response (prior to your edit) would have been "Yes, that's true and thank you for mentioning that - actually I currently am putting things in place to deal with that eventuality." Instead, you dropped a few levels on the maturity ladder and replied with an impressive dose of unwarranted condescension.

Carry on, in any case. Seems like you have it all figured out.

 

[Ashgirl]

Hello! Let me preface this by saying that no, I am not planning to never go to class. ^_^ However, I have three young children, who obviously are my priority. I'm trying to look at this realistically, and know that there will be days that I need to be with my kids rather than be gone at school all day, every day. In deciding where to apply for vet school, I'd like to know from students about the attendance policies, as this could very likely be a deciding factor for me.

So, which schools have mandatory attendance (and do they actually take attendance?) Which schools don't? Which ones have the lectures posted online so going to every single lecture is not necessary?

**Edited to add: I am aware of what each year entails, I understand attendance in lab is a no-brainer, I am not asking "how to go to vet school with kids," or expecting anyone to make allowances "just because I have kids." Perhaps my questions weren't clear enough, so let me add that they are questions about lecture attendance in first and second year. I guess I thought that was pretty straightforward, and if I had wanted to know about labs, clinicals, rotation, etc. etc. etc. I would have asked. My apologies.

Thank you!

Unfortunately a lot of schools attendance policies might depend on the individual professor/class, though I will say a lot more schools are beginning to have more lecture recording than in the past. We had professors that never really cared, and then a professor or two that would lower your grade one letter grade if you missed one single class....

At my school there seems to be an unspoken "you should really go to class," vibe, though in general my good friend (and others) never ever ever went to class unless it was a lab/exam/mandatory lecture and never had an issues. So at my school if the normal school week had 40+ hours of lectures/lab/exams, my friend would only go to the 3 exams and 12-20 hours of mandatory class/labs and do just fine. The only problem is that there normally was at least something to do everyday, whether that be just an exam at 7am or a 3 hour lab at 1pm.

 

[MDB74]

As does making assumptions and offering unsolicited advice. I am well aware of the requirements for each year. Were I not, I would research and possibly ask in forums such as this (as I would think anyone planning to go in to vet school would do). Rather than answering the questions I asked, you gave me information I already know, questioning whether I had given any thought about my children (who by fourth year would be quite a bit older...but I figured that bit of info was a given... LOL), and stating that my colleagues wouldn't "cover for me just because I have kids," as though I would ever expect them to. You also pointed out that I shouldn't skip labs, as if I were thinking about doing so. Who on earth would even consider skipping labs?? Seems like a silly thing to say. ^_^

Lest we forget, these were my questions:
"So, which schools have mandatory attendance (and do they actually take attendance?) Which schools don't? Which ones have the lectures posted online so going to every single lecture is not necessary?"

Had I asked about what kind of time commitment was required, or ideas for going through vet school while raising kids, then your potentially thought-invoking questions would be appropriate. (And perhaps for someone else that may read this thread and actually has those questions, it's probably useful information.)

What a strangely hostile way to approach someone giving some valuable insight into their opinion on time in school. Anyway.... As others have said, attendance policies at a lot of schools for lectures are loosening (yay!), but I would say there are still at least 20 hours mandatory lab/classes most places. Speaking for NCSU, we have almost everything lecture captured so I haven't been to more than one or two non-mandatory classes since my first couple weeks. However, even with this setup I would say I'm on campus for at least a couple hours everyday. I can't speak for 4th year yet, but maybe listen to what others are saying about the time commitment instead of being so defensive.

 

[FlutterbyFlyHi]

I would start with the college's website, which will often have a link to their academic policies. But I can tell you that at many places, each individual instructor sets the attendance policy for their class.

Thank you. I've checked several school sites, but was hoping to hear from those that have actually been there for a more "real" look at things.

 

[FlutterbyFlyHi]

Unfortunately a lot of schools attendance policies might depend on the individual professor/class, though I will say a lot more schools are beginning to have more lecture recording than in the past. We had professors that never really cared, and then a professor or two that would lower your grade one letter grade if you missed one single class....

At my school there seems to be an unspoken "you should really go to class," vibe, though in general my good friend (and others) never ever ever went to class unless it was a lab/exam/mandatory lecture and never had an issues. So at my school if the normal school week had 40+ hours of lectures/lab/exams, my friend would only go to the 3 exams and 12-20 hours of mandatory class/labs and do just fine. The only problem is that there normally was at least something to do everyday, whether that be just an exam at 7am or a 3 hour lab at 1pm.

Thank you, that is very helpful! What CVM did you attend?

 

[FlutterbyFlyHi]

What a strangely hostile way to approach someone giving some valuable insight into their ...but I would say there are still at least 20 hours mandatory lab/classes most places. Speaking for NCSU, we have almost everything lecture captured so I haven't been to more than one or two non-mandatory classes since my first couple weeks. However, even with this setup I would say I'm on campus for at least a couple hours everyday. I can't speak for 4th year yet, but maybe listen to what others are saying about the time commitment instead of being so defensive.

Thank you!

 

[Lupin21]

OKState has a couple profs during the first three years that want attendance, really only one where it is mandatory for every single one. Others like to do pop quizzes randomly to toss a wrench in the works. For the most part, I didn't attend after first year though. All classes are recorded, but there can be issues when the mic had dead batteries or there was an IT glitch and it didn't record. One prof didn't allow recording until this year, and wants to likely duck out again if given the chance though. haha

You can get away with not going to lectures at majority of schools for the most part. Obviously it will be dependent on group participation classes and such, but you will have to determine if it is worth it to not go. I miss points occasionally because I skip, but I take calculated risks to determine how much that hurts me versus the agony it is to sit in that horrible classroom.

 

[FlutterbyFlyHi]

OKState has a couple profs during the first three years that want attendance, really only one where it is mandatory for every single one. Others like to do pop quizzes randomly to toss a wrench in the works. For the most part, I didn't attend after first year though. All classes are recorded, but there can be issues when the mic had dead batteries or there was an IT glitch and it didn't record. One prof didn't allow recording until this year, and wants to likely duck out again if given the chance though. haha

You can get away with not going to lectures at majority of schools for the most part. Obviously it will be dependent on group participation classes and such, but you will have to determine if it is worth it to not go. I miss points occasionally because I skip, but I take calculated risks to determine how much that hurts me versus the agony it is to sit in that horrible classroom.

Thank you. I've always done pretty well as more of a book-learner and tend to zone out in lectures. I love it when they are recorded, even if I went to every lecture, because I seem to get more out of it when I can view it on my own time as opposed to simply trying to stay awake while someone is just standing up front talking. ^_^

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Illinois: All three years have mandatory labs. Attendance may not be taken at these labs every time, but trust me, they notice if you're missing. If you skip anatomy lab first year (3 hours, 3x/week), you'll basically be saying FU to your group. That's the most demanding lab, but all labs the first three years have a major effect on your grade and take up several hours each week. If you're not showing up, you will be talked to and you will probably not like that conversation. It's happened before.

There are clicker points as part of your grade for some classes in first and second year, so you'd lose points for missing (they're not extra credit points). Third year, there are mandatory labs, but no attendance in lectures. There are a few classmates I haven't even seen since our last exam.

Our lectures our recorded, but the recordings are historically not reliably accessible/there are frequent technical issues with that.

 

[DVMDream]

A couple students almost got dismissed for showing up to lab, signing in and then leaving. Honor code violation, they were on thin ice for a while.

But @LetItSnow would have the best insight and advice here.

 

[LetItSnow]

A couple students almost got dismissed for showing up to lab, signing in and then leaving. Honor code violation, they were on thin ice for a while.

But @LetItSnow would have the best insight and advice here.

I think you guys covered it well. And in any case, given the responses the OP gave to @WhtsThFrequency , I'm not inclined to spend time investing in a significant reply.

 

[KCgophervet]

I did say that I wasn't planning to never go to class. Currently I'm in school, I work, I run a national breed rescue, a private local rescue, and help take care of my grandmother, in addition to raising a 5 year old, 3 year old, and one year old (and homeschooling the oldest), all pretty much on my own. I already have plans for a nanny and have already told my husband he needs to be home more than a couple nights a week once I start vet school. I'm just asking about attendance policies for those times I may have a sick little one, they have an appointment or special class, or I think I need more study time, and obviously it would be mostly for lectures. But thanks for presuming I haven't thought ahead (though I understand your advice if I were someone asking about having kids during vet school, and it would be good info for someone that for some reason had not already thought of those things).

You were given some good advice and things to consider for vet school, your rude response was uncalled for.

UMN's attendance policy is (was) by the lecturer. Some would have in class "clicker" questions for points (so not mandatory, but missing so many points could hurt your grade). Most of the lectures were recorded but it was again up to the lecturer whether or not they were, plus the inherent technology failures. Labs were mandatory, especially first year anatomy.

4th year yeah no. You basically are granted a few "personal days" off which you can use for whatever (but that includes getting sick, taking a day for an interview) and a couple vacation blocks off. If you miss too many days in a single block then you'd have to repeat the rotation. I saw you said that "stating that my colleagues wouldn't "cover for me just because I have kids," as though I would ever expect them to" it's definitely happened, to my classmates and myself, so not an unheard of behavior to warn against.

 

[FlutterbyFlyHi]

....

Thank you!

 

[FlutterbyFlyHi]

At Iowa State....
Not sure how attendance works at UNL,

Thank you! Iowa is one I've been thinking about looking into. What's UNL? I'm in Kansas, so of course the obvious choice is K-State, but I surely wouldn't mind a move, and have family in various areas of the US, so I'm checking out several to consider.

 

[Teepster87]

We have all our lectures recorded at MSU, and in the event there's a problem with that system they will usually post the lecture from the previous years class on that topic.

We have a handful of people that you'll only ever see in the lecture hall for tests/quizzes, but t everyone comes to labs. Most profs with lab classes usually have some mechanism for making up a required lab if you miss it.

 

[Lab Vet]

NCSU profs record the vast majority of their classes via 'lecture capture,' and these videos (complete with slides) are available to students via our online portal 24-7. I religiously attended classes in person, so rarely used this service. I believe that lectures were posted to the portal approximately one hour after the conclusion of the live lecture. Even for those folks who do prefer to attend a live class, lecture capture can be helpful for targeted review. Occasionally, I would come across specific topics in any given lecture that I wanted to hear again. It was great to go to lecture capture, find this particular section, and watch it as many times as I deemed necessary.

A small minority of profs are against recording their lectures. I can think of one in particular, who simply refuses to- and makes students aware that this will not be an option for them. That being said, profs are not required to lecture capture their classes. Occasionally, the system goes down and lectures aren't recorded. This is a rare occurrence. I know many classmates who rely heavily on lecture capture for their study strategy, and end up doing just fine.

For large lectures, attendance is generally not taken at NCSU. Occasionally, profs will require students to sign in. Sometimes as a matter of course, sometimes for an extra point or two on exam. Again, rare occurrence. As for labs, these occur in all of the pre-clinical years (1-3), and attendance is, for all intents and purposes (with the very rare exception), required. Students must sign in to ensure that they have completed the day's activities. Skipping labs is not viewed favorably by the academic faculty, and students have been caught before for signing in their friends (when the friend was not in attendance). Not a smart move. As another poster mentioned above, this could be considered an honor code violation, which carries severe consequences.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Procrastinating on my studying, but in addition to 4th year attendance being far more demanding than the didactic years: At least at Illinois, if you're on call, you are expected to be present at the hospital and ready to go within 20-30 minutes. If you can't get your nanny to come cover for you at 2am (and you won't be back home until 8pm because the surgery was 6 hours and then you still had a normal day after that), what's the plan then? Stuff you're going to have to really think about. If your husband is gone, will you have someone who will come over at any time?

I don't think a family has to prevent anyone from going to vet school, but there are definitely real hurdles involved. I don't even have suggestions as to how you could approach it, either.