Poll: What % of classes did you attend?

[Eyecon82]

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What percentage of classes did you miss during undergrad? I was just curious because I was a bum during undergrad and somehow managed to make it in med school...

 

[footsie]

I am a bum. My primary MB exams are a week away. 😱

 

[mlw03]

Someone please explain the appeal of skipping classes. It seems like higher education is the only product people pay for that they then don't want. If you don't go to class you're just paying to take a test, and if you pass, have a degree.

And just so I'm clear, I'm not talking about occasionally missing a class - I'm talking about the people that only show up for tests.

 

[Zweihander]

Someone please explain the appeal of skipping classes. It seems like higher education is the only product people pay for that they then don't want. If you don't go to class you're just paying to take a test, and if you pass, have a degree.

And just so I'm clear, I'm not talking about occasionally missing a class - I'm talking about the people that only show up for tests.

Although I rarely took this approach in college, there are several valid reasons why one would want to skip class:
1. Taking a class you don't like because you have to
2. The class has a horrible professor
3. You prefer learning the material on your own, through readings, etc.
4. The main attraction of college for you is the extracurriculars (sports, clubs, etc.) and not the classes themselves

 

[Eyecon82]

Someone please explain the appeal of skipping classes. It seems like higher education is the only product people pay for that they then don't want. If you don't go to class you're just paying to take a test, and if you pass, have a degree.

And just so I'm clear, I'm not talking about occasionally missing a class - I'm talking about the people that only show up for tests.

I attended around 40% of my classes mostly because I just wasn't interested or the professor sucked.

I think students who miss all of their classes (still getting an A in the class) do so because they feel they can learn better on their own rather than a lecture based environment.

I hope to attend all my classes during med school...but once you already get in the habbit...i know its going to be hard to break out of.....but there will probably be more than enough motivation to go to class

 

[UCLAstudent]

I haven't ever missed a class, but discussion section is another story... 😉

 

[Lochmoor]

In lieu of class, I watched videos for certian classes. Some undergrad's and a good number of med schools have lectures on video. For example, I skipped genetics lectures and just watched videos at home. It was easier to keep up with the prof, I could hear everything clearly, and I could see the board. Also, this allowed me the luxury of waiting to watch a lecture to catch up in the reading, etc.

As for other classes that I skipped, I just found that lectures didnt help or that I could do just as well without them.

 

[blz]

I skipped all my classes to go to the gym. The end result is a 4.0 GPA, a good MCAT, and all the ladies I want 😀

 

[Cerberus]

I dont care much for college classes. My dislike for academia in general makes it hard for me to attend class. I'd say I go to abou 25% since some classes have mandatory attendance.

 

[Adapt]

I have skipped lots of classes in the past. For some classes, I went only about 50% of the time and for others 25%. I spent my time playing video games and what not.

Sometimes the class was just too early and I figured everything they talked about was in the lecture notes online. This happens a lot especially for science classes so it's not a problem.

For one of my upper division biochem classes, I missed more than 50% of the time and still got an A. Sometimes it's not worth it to go to class. If my classes are like this in med school, I will do the same. 😀

 

[thewzdoc]

?.I attempted to attend every class no matter how boring the prof was. I paid for it so I wanted to suck every once out of it. I did on occasion get a horrible aftertaste but I got every ounce.

P.S. Some of the required courses were harder to attend than others. Those that I couldn?t stomach I simply took the CLEP and got credit without attending at all.

 

[vixenell]

I don't miss any of my major classes; probably went to my comparative islamic politics class 20% of the time (took it pass/fail, which wasn't the best motivation to try to do well). But my school, and my classes specifically, are too small to miss on a regular basis (ie, if you're not there, my profs will remember, and remind me for months to come).

 

[exmike]

I think the fact that I went to less than half is the reason i took me four years to get in medical school after i graduated. It was lopsided less than half. I never went to class my first two years, and I went to nearly all of them my second two years. Stuipid stupid. 🙁

 

[Fish3715]

?.I attempted to attend every class no matter how boring the prof was. I paid for it so I wanted to suck every once out of it. I did on occasion get a horrible aftertaste but I got every ounce.

P.S. Some of the required courses were harder to attend than others. Those that I couldn?t stomach I simply took the CLEP and got credit without attending at all.

This is my approach to school. Of course, I've learned nothing this year that I couldn't have taught myself (see the "I dont like school" thread from a few weeks ago), which adds to my dislike for academia/liberal arts colleges in general.

Additionally, unlike some schools on this thread, my itty-bitty school doesn't accept CLEP, doesn't offer lecture notes online- or anywhere, doesn't have lectures on videos, has attendance policies (if you have ONE unexcused absence from a lab your ENTIRE grade for that course is lowered a full letter 🙄 ) and so on and so on...

 

[Newquagmire]

Although I rarely took this approach in college, there are several valid reasons why one would want to skip class:
1. Taking a class you don't like because you have to
2. The class has a horrible professor
3. You prefer learning the material on your own, through readings, etc.
4. The main attraction of college for you is the extracurriculars (sports, clubs, etc.) and not the classes themselves

these are the reasons i never went to my premed classes but did attend all my humanities

 

[(nicedream)]

Someone please explain the appeal of skipping classes. It seems like higher education is the only product people pay for that they then don't want. If you don't go to class you're just paying to take a test, and if you pass, have a degree.

And just so I'm clear, I'm not talking about occasionally missing a class - I'm talking about the people that only show up for tests.

Paying for the degree.

 

[thewzdoc]

Additionally, unlike some schools on this thread, my itty-bitty school doesn't accept CLEP, doesn't offer lecture notes online- or anywhere, doesn't have lectures on videos, has attendance policies (if you have ONE unexcused absence from a lab your ENTIRE grade for that course is lowered a full letter 🙄 ) and so on and so on...

Holy cow......no CLEP credit.... 👎

 

[WyldeWolf1]

Someone please explain the appeal of skipping classes. It seems like higher education is the only product people pay for that they then don't want. If you don't go to class you're just paying to take a test, and if you pass, have a degree.

And just so I'm clear, I'm not talking about occasionally missing a class - I'm talking about the people that only show up for tests.

For many of the students on this forum, undergraduate education was only a means to an end. In fact, it's safe to say that everyone took a few classes they didn't really like, but had to for one reason or another. If one is able to attain a desirable grade in that type of course without attending, what's the harm?

A common psychological phenomenon involves feeling obligated to enjoy/take advantage of things and situations based on the amount of time and resources already devoted to it. For example, if you go to McDonald's and order a cheeseburger and decide after a few bites that you really didn't want it, you'll probably just throw it away. If you go to an expensive restaurant, order the most expensive item on the menu, and feel the same way, you're much more likely to eat it anyway.

Perhaps those who skip classes they don't enjoy while maintaining the grades they desire are actually seeing things more clearly.

Ah, who am I kidding? We're SLACKERS!

/edit: compulsive typo correction

 

[Xega]

I only went to classes that had interesting professors. Otherwise I prefer to learn from reading and just looking at the notes so going to class was a waste, the only times I went were when I thought the professor would teach more than what was in the books or notes. So I ended up going to about 50% of my classes.

 

[ocean11]

jkjkjkjkjkjk

 

[Eyecon82]

bump bump bump

 

[jlee9531]

if i missed a class...the concept presented on that day was virtually lost on me...
so i tried not to miss. i need to hear it as well as see it.