Not to be a super nerd or total suck up or anything, but attendance policies are actually a great thing.
Uhh, what? Yes. It's true! No matter how tempting skipping class in college is, or how much "it literally doesn't matter if I go", you should go to class. Seriously, what else are you doing!? You have to learn the material either way. Why not learn it from an actual expert on the subject rather than from someone sending you their sloppy notes the next day?
One of my Tuesday/Thursday classes lets us have 6 unexcused absences before being "subject to further action". That's three entire weeks of class that you are ALLOWED to miss before the professor even bats an eye! On the other hand, one of my Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes only gives us 3 unexcused absences, and attendance is taken every period. On every subsequent absence beyond your 3rd, an entire point is taken off your FINAL grade. Not off a test or essay; your overall grade.
It should be easy to guess which class I've skipped 4 times already. And guess what? Nothing is going to happen to me. Why did I skip? No reason at all. I was sick once, but the other three were just because I could. Oops.
Which class do you think I've learned more in and actually know what's going on in? Which class do you think I have a higher grade in? The one that I'm basically forced to show up to, of course. I've only missed it once, and it was actually just so I could finish a paper for that class. Go figure.
Will I use my allotted 6 absences for my Tuesday/Thursday class? It's likely. I mean, why not?
So, professors. Help your students help themselves. Make us scared to skip class! Force us to get out of bed and come to class even when our bed is the comfiest place in the world. We will learn more! You'll have a much fuller classroom! We will be less likely to be out til 3 am the night before! Everyone wins.
I'm not advocating for anyone to have perfect attendance and never play a little hooky. But, with stricter attendance policies, I think we will benefit academically.
Learn to love your strict professors. <3
