Skipping Classes

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

How many classes do you skip a week?

  • Never

    Votes: 60 39.0%
  • 1-3

    Votes: 64 41.6%
  • 4-6

    Votes: 16 10.4%
  • More than 6

    Votes: 14 9.1%

  • Total voters
    154

TheBateman

Pre-Med Killer
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2008
Messages
116
Reaction score
0
So all of us probably have classes where its pointless to go to lecture. Either it's not on the tests or we have a professor who has unbearable English. Question is how often do YOU skip classes?
I skip pretty often since I do most of the learning on my own. The only qualm I have is that college is expensive and I feel guilty since my parents are paying the tuition.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Never skipped. At my busiest semester (3-3 hr labs, 3-3 hr classes, 1-4 hr class) I was paying approximately $911 a week for class and $42 per hour. Its not cost effective to skip.
 
When I started college I had the "this costs alot so I'm going to every class" mentality. That stance was swiftly eroded by the realization that lecture usually gains me nothing.

I had the misfortune of every single class taking attendance (for points) this semester, so currently I only skip the one class where the attendance points are negligible (3 classes per week).

:( Damn attendance points cramping my style. Nothing like regressing to junior high class set-ups.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I never skip now that I am taking classes I enjoy. I go to a small liberal arts college and a lot of the courses are discussion-based lectures where the students are actively invovled, asking questions to other students, and answering questions, etc. A lot of the learning goes on in the classroom, so its a waste if you skip class.
 
When I started college I had the "this costs alot so I'm going to every class" mentality. That stance was swiftly eroded by the realization that lecture usually gains me nothing.

I had the misfortune of every single class taking attendance (for points) this semester, so currently I only skip the one class where the attendance points are negligible (3 classes per week).

:( Damn attendance points cramping my style. Nothing like regressing to junior high class set-ups.

I don't understand the professors mentality when they threaten to fail you for missing 3 classes. I've had a few professors like that. Actually one I'm taking this semester has you sign in before class.

I don't skip any classes myself because the professor usually puts on the test what the lecture over. Sure I could skip and learn it myself, but I may not concentrate as much as I should on the specifics they tell you in lecture.
 
OK, yeah, you'd definitely have to rephrase that question "How many classes do you miss per semester?"

Right now, never is as close as I'm getting. Even in interview season, I would wager I'll average less than once per week. And I was invited to 12 interviews.

I don't skip:
(1) Because of the cost
(2) Because I'm *usually* interested in what the prof has to say
(3) Because there will usually be at least ONE important thing (if not more) that the professor has said that I really should know.
(4) Because I like talking with people who are in my classes
(5) Because professors will often notice (and be irritated) if you skip classes
(6) Because I have no on-line classes
 
Last edited:
I go to a small liberal arts college...the classes are small enough that it is very noticeable when anyone is missing. Yes, even the professors notice when you aren't there (attendance or not), and yes, the professors do like seeing all of their students in class. In total, I miss at most 3 classes per semester (I'm only at one so far and midterms are over). Also, the only time I miss class is generally Friday morning after staying up until 5 am Thursday night doing school work.
 
I'm the only black guy in all of my classes. So if I skip I'm sure its pretty dang noticeable. I still have troubly getting up for my 8AM Micro class though.
 
I never skip upper division bio classes because for the most part professors usually concentrate specifically on what is said in lecture. They hardly ever test on everything in the book.
 
Never skipped. At my busiest semester (3-3 hr labs, 3-3 hr classes, 1-4 hr class) I was paying approximately $911 a week for class and $42 per hour. Its not cost effective to skip.

I never looked at it that way... you don't pay for the classes, you pay for the degree.
 
Never for the first three years. Fairly often my senior year due to interviews and senioritis.
 
i dont think its fair to call missing class for an interview "skipping." I mean you havea a pretty legit reason! Its not like you are sleeping in!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I'm currently taking biochem, orga, and a literature course.

I never go to orga - no point, the prof follows the book quite closely and I can do it on my own. Went to the first two weeks, realized this, haven't gone since.

I never go to biochem - no point to wake up for an 8:30AM class, he posts an audio stream online anyway.

I never miss my literature class, mainly because I love it.
 
I skipped most of my Human Anatomy lectures because they were podcasted and the lectures were uploaded online via our blackboard system. Not to mention, after spending 6+ hours in lab a week, I hardly wanted to sit through droning lectures talking about the same things I had already drilled into my head.

This backfired, however, when our lecturer gave out random bonus to the class after our first exam. Oh well, I am sure I was doing something worthwhile instead. :laugh:
 
I cant b\c I'm also at a tiny liberal arts school. My largest class was 50, but it shrunk to about 40. Our profs know most of us by name, and will call us out if we miss a class. Most of of the profs also have a attendance grade so that can screw you over as well if you skip......
 
I never miss class. Not b/c I'm a self-righteous silly-nanny, but b/c:

1) I go to a small school and it is bad for the 'ole rapport to miss

2) I am not smart enough to not go to class
 
I hated A&P I because the teacher was HUGE on coming to class. We would each have an index card with our name and picture on it, and, randomly, he would often pick a few out and ask people simple questions so they could get "participation points" aka "being in class points." I lost more points from not being in class than I lost from the tests, lol.
 
My B.S. in biochemistry is not worth the 100,000 plus I invested in it... just saying.

That is your fault for paying that much. You could have found it somewhere else for cheaper.

Regardless, you have to take classes tog et the degree so skipping them or not is not really impacting the cost. Passing them is however.
 
I go to small, liberal arts college, too, and the smaller classes are definitely not something I can skip. If there are 20 people in a seminar, the prof is going to notice. Even if attendance isn't required, it still looks bad. In my larger lectures (35-40 students), I usually skip once or twice a week depending on whether or not I feel caught up.

Right now I am on leave studying at a bigger state university and my physics course has over 100 people and I get nothing out of lecture. Thus, I pretty much skip every lecture and have done fine. I seem to learn this material better on my own anyway.
 
Wow, how do you guys miss class 1 to 3 times a week? Are your classes really that bad/that much of a waste-of-time?
 
I do actually skip class fairly often...
 
That is your fault for paying that much. You could have found it somewhere else for cheaper.

Regardless, you have to take classes tog et the degree so skipping them or not is not really impacting the cost. Passing them is however.

I disagree

Bacchus and I are probably from around the same area (just assuming so being that he/she goes to PCOM). And the state schools out here aren't really good for a science-based backround. Granted, some will go to Penn State and do great for themselves. Same with OSU, WVU, SUNY, but over here, your best bet is to go private, liberal arts because they are more established and because they work out of the Ivy-mold, IE teaching institutions where a student can do research. (The Ivy mold is what my school says they do with slight modifications, don't shoot the messenger on that statement. Baccus, in fact, probably knows several people from my undergrad at PCOM and I would bet good money I have heard and probably know a good bit about his/her undergrad for the simple fact that these liberal arts institutions out here produce huge pre-med classes relative to other majors at the school and have a great rapport at mid-tier medical schools and osteopathic schools because they produce a great deal students that accel there and become sucessful doctors and ambassadors of their medical school institutions.)

Fin.
 
I appreciate it but I'll be matriculating at PCOM next year. I am not a student there right now. There are a lot of students from my UG at PCOM, but we aren't a liberal arts school, we're a health-sciences university.
 
I appreciate it but I'll be matriculating at PCOM next year. I am not a student there right now. There are a lot of students from my UG at PCOM, but we aren't a liberal arts school, we're a health-sciences university.

Ahhh, no, I suck again.

Case in point, in the East the smaller, non-state schools do an excellent job of matriculating undergrads into medical school.
 
Well it is a private school. And, I got no $$$ love from State so I'm probably paying the same amount after all is said and done. I wouldn't go to the majority of colleges in PA.
 
Well it is a private school. And, I got no $$$ love from State so I'm probably paying the same amount after all is said and done. I wouldn't go to the majority of colleges in PA.

You must be from the Eastern part of the state. A lot of the places out West are held in pretty high esteem. Mine, so-so, we are really liked by some places (we send boatloads of ppl to PCOM, Drexel, Jefferson, LECOM, the occasional couple to A.T. Still and Penn State, you get the picture), but pretty much unknown by the "big time" MD schools.

I don't know how the small private schools are out in Eastern Pa though.
 
I only skip morning classes :D I think I missed about 1/4 of my Ochem classes b/c it started too freaking early! (8:00 AM and I had to drive 1hr).
 
I disagree

Bacchus and I are probably from around the same area (just assuming so being that he/she goes to PCOM). And the state schools out here aren't really good for a science-based backround. Granted, some will go to Penn State and do great for themselves. Same with OSU, WVU, SUNY, but over here, your best bet is to go private, liberal arts because they are more established and because they work out of the Ivy-mold, IE teaching institutions where a student can do research. (The Ivy mold is what my school says they do with slight modifications, don't shoot the messenger on that statement. Baccus, in fact, probably knows several people from my undergrad at PCOM and I would bet good money I have heard and probably know a good bit about his/her undergrad for the simple fact that these liberal arts institutions out here produce huge pre-med classes relative to other majors at the school and have a great rapport at mid-tier medical schools and osteopathic schools because they produce a great deal students that accel there and become sucessful doctors and ambassadors of their medical school institutions.)

Fin.

He said that he didnt feel it was worth the 100k, so if that is true the supposed disadvantages of the state schools would have been offset by the lower cost and he should have gone there. Honestly, people from all sorts of strange small colleges with few opportunities get into med school, so I dont understand what the huge disadvantage to going to a school with a "weak" backgorund in the sciences is if your main goal is med school anyways.
 
I do not go to any non-required class.

This means, even though I have 18 credits this semester, I only attend classes on tuesday and thursday (when I have one lab each and 2 seminars each).

Works great for me. I work in the lab more and I learn better reading the book than listening to lectures.
 
He said that he didnt feel it was worth the 100k, so if that is true the supposed disadvantages of the state schools would have been offset by the lower cost and he should have gone there. Honestly, people from all sorts of strange small colleges with few opportunities get into med school, so I dont understand what the huge disadvantage to going to a school with a "weak" backgorund in the sciences is if your main goal is med school anyways.
We don't have a weak background in science at my school... its a health-sciences University.

The reason the biochem degree wasn't worth the money is I'll never use it. Its a stepping stone.
 
I don't skip class for the first half of the semester. If I have a solid grade, I skip one or two classes in the second half of the semester, because by then... it doesn't matter if I get a 95 or an 80% on the final exams, I still can maintain an A.
 
I skip stats whenever I don't feel like waking up for it (9 am!) because it's a complete joke. I pay more attention to the daily crossword than the teacher, and I studied about 30 mins for each of two exams so far and got 100s on both. I'm honestly not sure how a teacher can get away with teaching a 4-credit class where all the material could be learned in a week, maybe two, but I'm not complaining.

If the teacher bases exams mostly on the textbook and puts up powerpoint slides, I tend to skip more often. If a teacher bases exams mostly on lecture, I go to class.
 
I went to even the most ridiculous, irrelevant lectures for my classes and just sat in the back and read the text book. If I didn't go to the class, I would've probably just slept in and not gotten any work done.
 
We don't have a weak background in science at my school... its a health-sciences University.

The reason the biochem degree wasn't worth the money is I'll never use it. Its a stepping stone.

No I was responding to the other poster who said most of Penn state schools have a weak science background which is some sort of disadvantage that led him and presumably you to look in to expensive private schools. As you said, it is a stepping stone so getting the highest quality bachelors is kind of pointless.
 
Wow, how do you guys miss class 1 to 3 times a week? Are your classes really that bad/that much of a waste-of-time?

Yes lol. I skipped at least 1-3 classes a week 1-2 months into the semester if attendance was not mandatory. and yes, it was still worth the 25k/yr in tuition. college was about the life, the friends, and the experiences for me. And yes i still got a 3.5gpa. not great, but definitely worth all the fun i had.

"No I was responding to the other poster who said most of Penn state schools have a weak science background which is some sort of disadvantage that led him and presumably you to look in to expensive private schools. As you said, it is a stepping stone so getting the highest quality bachelors is kind of pointless."

and i did go to PSU, and got a 35 on my MCAT, so i think theyre science preparation for medical school is just fine.
 
No I was responding to the other poster who said most of Penn state schools have a weak science background which is some sort of disadvantage that led him and presumably you to look in to expensive private schools. As you said, it is a stepping stone so getting the highest quality bachelors is kind of pointless.

With all due respect,

Some of us aren't 100% sure we want to go, or will be able to get into, medicine (For me, the decision came over time). I figured gaining a degree from the highest quality institution I possibly could would offer me a more secure future (which in my region are (expensive) private schools). I majored in chemistry because of this notin too, it gave me, personally, a great deal of options. I go to my undergrad on mostly merit and need based scholarships and some loans, anyway.

My original point was that in certain parts of the US (not Caifornia as I have come to find out in meeting many many people from the UC system of the interview trail and am well aware that they are awesome schools) the value of a private education is greater than the money saved going to the local state school.

Again that's just my own opinion.
 
Yes lol. I skipped at least 1-3 classes a week 1-2 months into the semester if attendance was not mandatory. and yes, it was still worth the 25k/yr in tuition. college was about the life, the friends, and the experiences for me. And yes i still got a 3.5gpa. not great, but definitely worth all the fun i had.

"No I was responding to the other poster who said most of Penn state schools have a weak science background which is some sort of disadvantage that led him and presumably you to look in to expensive private schools. As you said, it is a stepping stone so getting the highest quality bachelors is kind of pointless."

and i did go to PSU, and got a 35 on my MCAT, so i think theyre science preparation for medical school is just fine.

eh, nevermind, I was just explaining to the person why a person who I presumed was from the same area as me would go to an expensive private school. If you read my original post you will see that I said "People go to PSU and do great for themselves". I just don't know that many people that have gone to PSU for pre-med (I'm sure there are plenty, though). Now law and engineering, yes. I wasn't trying to be offensive I was just explaining the reasoning behind small expensive schools, sorry.
 
I skip stats whenever I don't feel like waking up for it (9 am!) because it's a complete joke. I pay more attention to the daily crossword than the teacher, and I studied about 30 mins for each of two exams so far and got 100s on both. I'm honestly not sure how a teacher can get away with teaching a 4-credit class where all the material could be learned in a week, maybe two, but I'm not complaining.

If the teacher bases exams mostly on the textbook and puts up powerpoint slides, I tend to skip more often. If a teacher bases exams mostly on lecture, I go to class.

Lol, sounds like me. My stats is at 10 AM on Weds. but an hourlong commute to school, the teacher has a very heavy accent that makes difficult to understand and teaches ENTIRELY off of a CD-ROM which we all have at home b/c its part of the book.

So basically stats=myspace/facebook/biochem study hour/naptime.

Or for me, "watch people do those things and then get called out for it by the professor" time.

The last one is especially fun to watch.
 
You pay the same tuition if you take 12 units (considered "full-time" student) as if you take 19 at my school, so breaking it down by tuition hour is a little silly.

Over 2 semesters of a MWF PSIO lecture, I've been to maybe 16 lectures. Got a 93% first semester and a 96% second semester. Classes aren't always necessary, or particularly useful.
 
If you are responsible, you can determine whether skipping a class is the right choice. I know that I can skip some classes when the prof does nothing but read out of the book; I read the book myself.
 
My professor goes directly out of the book but I still go.. I don't know why.
 
Top