How to Succeed in College: Five Reasons NOT to Skip Class

Up until now, whenever you missed school you needed a note from a parent or a doctor. Maybe your school called your house to find out where you were. College is a whole different ballgame. Whether you show up or not is up to you. Some professors don’t even take attendance. The temptation, especially for those early morning classes, is to skip the class and tell yourself that you’ll catch up. Here, a college instructor gives you five reasons why you should go—every day.
1. Skipping Class is a Bad Habit.

Skipping class can be very tempting, but once you start down that path, it becomes easier and easier to continue and that never leads to a good result. Eventually you may get so far behind that you just give up. As with other bad habits, just don’t even start.

2. Skipping Class Leads to Missing Important Announcements

Professors make announcements in class. They may not feel compelled to make sure that everyone who didn’t bother to show up finds out what was said. If you aren’t there, you might miss finding out that a test has been moved or the material to be covered has been changed. You might miss an opportunity for extra credit or even a possible job or internship.

3. Skipping Class Reduces Your Credibility with the Instructor.

An instructor is much more likely to grant an extension or other accommodation to a student who has been faithful in their attendance. If you only show up a few times a month and then go to the professor with a sob story about how you need more time for a paper or project, it’s unlikely that you’ll get much sympathy.

4. Skipping Class Reduces Your Credibility with Your Classmates

Hopefully you are going to college because you want to have a career, or at least get a job. Many of your classmates, particularly if you are at a regional or community college, are people that you will encounter in your field after graduation. Imagine applying for a job where one of your classmates is already employed. If the HR director notices that you were both at the same college at the same time and asks your classmate about you, you don’t want them to say “I can’t tell you much. S/he was never in class.” Being labeled as unreliable is deadly to any job search.

5. Skipping Class is Like Throwing Money Down the Drain

Take the amount you are paying for each class, divide it by the number of times the class meets, and now you have the amount you are paying for each class session. And don’t forget the cost of the books. If you have student loans, you will end up paying even more per class due to interest. You’ll be making those payments for years, whether you graduate or not. You might as well get your money’s worth.

College gives you freedom, but you need to use it wisely. Go to class.


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