<p>In response to radioactive lead, </p>
<p>I think his impression is pretty accurate in that certain classes are not well attended. As a student who attends roughly ~95-97 percent of my classes though, I personally find that great. As if we didn’t get enough interaction with professors, this just makes it even easier for those who want it. </p>
<p>As to why people don’t go to class, I think it’s a combination of the reasons listed. Some classes don’t have the greatest professors (but I think most are very good), some classes are early in the morning (read: before noon), some classes provide great resources out of class - posted lecture notes, good textbooks, etc., some people just get behind on work and need the sleep instead of going to class (which is unfortunately a vicious cycle for those who get behind), and some students just like to learn outside of class either because it fits their style or it’s a more efficient use of their time.</p>
<p>In any case, I think radioactive has the wrong impression of how learning occurs outside of lecture at Caltech (at least as I’ve generally seen it). It’s not like most people can just read a textbook and then they understand it - the material is way too difficult for that for most people. Rather, students learn by discussing the concepts and problems with each other, which frankly is much more similar to how learning in ‘the real world’ is actually done. There isn’t always going to be that omnipotent professor who can lucidly explain everything - eventually you will reach topics/questions that no one understands, and I think Caltech can simulate how to cope with that pretty well.</p>