Skipping Class

nontraditional
Thu, 07 Feb 2008 07:53:35 +0000

What does the syllabus say about absences? What about pop quizzes? Are there any likely consequences to missing one class meeting?

Is there anything scheduled today that you can’t afford to miss? Do you have to give a presentation? Do you understand the material to be presented today? Can you get notes from someone else?

Is today atypical for you, or is it just that your ongoing frustration has finally gotten to the point that you can’t handle with it? Do you have the discipline to really let this be a one-time-only thing, or are you likely to figure that if it’s okay x times, then it’s okay x+1 times?

Are you sick? Can you go to student health and document that?

How big is the class? How much goodwill are you likely to lose if the teacher notices you’re not there? How much goodwill do you need.

How long is the class? Is it a sixty-minute discussion section or a ninety-minute lecture or a three-hour seminar? (How much of the total semester’s work would you be missing, in other words?)

I don’t think cutting a class is necessarily a horrible thing or even an especially bad thing, but a lot depends on you, the class you’re actually in, and the circumstances surrounding this. Ultimately it’s going to be a judgment call that only you can make. You sound like a pretty conscientious student, so I figure you’re probably capable of making a good choice.

If you do skip, I hope you have a good day off. (Not good enough that you never go back, of course, but good.) If you don’t skip, at least it’s almost the weekend.