Teacher doesn't know the subject... Okay to skip?

College Life
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<p>Right now I am taking classes at a community college, and one of the classes I’m taking is Econ (microecon, the community college does macro first then micro so it’s the 2nd econ class). The teacher does not know the subject at all. It’s plainly obvious to everyone in the class. He comes in and reads a power point that the book publisher gave him (all the examples and graphs and such are exactly the same as in the book), and that’s it. Whenever anyone asks him a question, he either goes back to the slide about it and simply reads the slides again, or if it’s not something from directly off the power point, he’ll make up something, oftentimes he’ll be wrong. It seems that about a third of the class doesn’t come anymore, I haven’t gone for the last two classes. </p>

<p>I’m sure that I can learn the material well enough to get As on the tests. His tests are pointlessly easy, I’m guessing because it has to be at a level where he knows the answers. I imagine I’ll lose points on written assignments, because he is the type to take points off of those he doesn’t like (I imagine he’ll consider my not showing up as an insult), and written assignments counts for 25% of our grade. I am enrolled at a university, and I only need a C to transfer the credit, so it’s not terribly important what grade I get, but I’m wondering if there’s any reason why you guys think I shouldn’t just show up to the tests and skip the classes, other than the points I would likely lose on written assignments. </p>

<p>Is there anyway a lower grade in this class than I could potentially get would be harmful? Or should I just skip?</p>

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<p>Well, aren’t you paying for the classes? And why settle for a C?</p>

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<p>Well a lower grade would lower your GPA…I would consider that harmful…</p>

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<p>The main downside I can see is that you’ll be communicating to the professor that you don’t care that much. If, down the road, you need a favor – like an extension on an assignment or a makeup exam outside of the ones provided for on the syllabus – he’s likely to remember that. Also, he may give out information in class that you’ll need, such as that a test date has been changed. So I wouldn’t do it lightly, especially if I didn’t know anyone else who was in the same class.</p>

<p>But, that said, if you can learn the material as well without attending as you can with attending (which is sometimes the case with straight-lecture classes and not the case with discussion-based classes), and if you’re disciplined enough to actually learn it (and not just cram it in right before tests and forget it right afterwards), and if you’re okay with getting the lower grade that you’ll get by not attending, then I figure that you’re a grownup and it’s up to you.</p>

<p>However, you’re going to be treated like a grownup later on and not protected from the consequences of your choices. You don’t get to complain that a question on an exam was about something covered only in class and not in the book. You don’t get to complain that you didn’t know that a test date was changed because you didn’t make sure someone in the class was letting you know about anything important that happened. You don’t get to complain that something unexpected happened to you at the end of the semester and the professor won’t work with you. And if you’ve missed something in the syllabus or the student handbook, such as that you will be dropped from the course if you miss more than 2 weeks’ worth of classes in a row, that’s your mistake and you live with it.</p>

<p>If it were me, and after I’d gone over the syllabus and student handbook very very carefully, I’d probably cut a lot more often than I usually would, but I’d show up every few classes and definitely for a couple of classes right before an exam. Either that or I’d continue to attend, but I’d find some writing (so that I looked like I was taking notes) to do during class and I’d sit in the back.</p>

<p>But I will say that I regret not taking a handful of classes from years ago seriously enough. Not all of the classes I didn’t take seriously. Not even most of the classes I didn’t take seriously. But some. And I think that as a result I’m more likely to take a class seriously when it might not be worth it now than I used to be.</p>

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<p>I doubt he could give me no points for written assignments if I did them. The difference would be more like between a B+ and an A (written assignments are only worth 25% of the grade, the rest is from multiple choice tests). Worst case scenario is that even if I got a C, it still transfers.</p>

<p>My grade will only affect my GPA at the community college, not my GPA at my University.</p>

<p>I am paying for the class, but the class is worthless, and I’ve already paid for it. There’s nothing I can do about it now, but I still want the credits.</p>

<p>Edit:</p>

<p>Nontraditional, I’ll make sure to check with someone in the class (there’s someone I know there from my econ class the semester previous). I’m sure he’s not covering any additional material in class from how the first 4 or 5 lectures went, but I’ll realize that I’m forfeiting those points. </p>

<p>I’m pretty sure there’s not any consequence like one described in your third paragraph, but I’ll go back over one more time.</p>

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<p>If you’re planning on transferring the class then wouldn’t the grade still effect your GPA? It’s not like you can really separate the community college and university classes unless they won’t accept the credit. Even then, if that grade has already been calculated into your GPA then isn’t it impossible to un-do that? I’m not really understanding what you’re saying, there.</p>

<p>It’s ultimately your choice, though. We can’t tell you how you should live. I’ve skipped plenty of classes and still made good grades, but I couldn’t say the same for other courses I’ve taken.</p>

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<p>Make sure there’s no attendance policy that could end up with you failing the course even with As on the tests, simply because you didn’t show up for enough classes.</p>

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<p>^^^Stradmom makes a good point. I don’t think transfer credit GPA counts in most university’s GPA calculation (certainly not at mine), but definitely determine that before making a choice. </p>

<p>The only thing I’d want to know is whether you’ve already been accepted and plan to transfer into that other university? If not, a bad grade could keep you from transferring.</p>

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<p>Short version: Don’t skip.</p>

<p>Long version:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I agree with previous posters who say you are putting yourself at risk for getting on a teacher’s bad side (not good if you need an extension, or if he is subjective in some grading, etc.), missing important information about an assignment, or missing a changed test date or assignment deadline</p></li>
<li><p>Also, look, you don’t know this prof - you don’t know what kinda crap he’s going through in his life. But you do know that not showing up for class is disrespectful, and it probably hurts his feelings to see a half empty class every day. Come to class and maybe make a difference in his life. Be a good person and show your respect for other human beings.</p></li>
<li><p>I’m not sure about this one, but don’t law and other grad schools require transcripts from all institutions of higher learning one has attended? So, even if it doesn’t show up on your 4-yr transcript, it would show up on your CC transcript, which may be reviewed by grad schools</p></li>
</ol>

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<p>Just attend class and take it as a life lesson. Having the extra 4 hours a week you would be spending in lecture is not worth sacrificing your grade.</p>

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<p>I have two points to make.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Why are you settling for a C. You are right that a C is considered a passing grade but a B or A looks much better on your transcript. Even if the class isn’t going on your transcript, you are paying to attend class and if you cannot do that, you just wasted your money and time. Might as well just buy the book and learn at home.</p></li>
<li><p>I believe that you should ALWAYS go to class. I don’t care if you have a cold, your sleepy or hungover. For every class you miss, you will have to spend twice as much time trying to catch up. Plus, your professor might give extra credit away or allow you to ask for a paper extension if you need it. ALWAYS GO TO CLASS!</p></li>
</ol>

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<p>I went to a University for a semester (commuted), and I left to go to a community college to save some money. The community college here has a good reputation for having good teachers, and most of my teachers here have been pretty good, so it was a good option to save money in my mind. I’m going back to the University in the Fall, as after this summer I won’t have any more classes that will apply to anything other than free electives for my Bachelors degree. I don’t have to worry about getting in as a transfer student or anything like that.</p>

<p>The difference in grade is likely to be between a B/B+/A- and an A, not a C and an A. The grade does not transfer, just the credits. I might apply for a Masters in Engineering (that would be a couple years away, I haven’t decided on that yet), but no Med or Law school. I’m sure about that.</p>

<p>On his syllabus, he states that he gives no extra credit, no extensions, no make up tests, no exceptions. There is no attendance policy about missing too many classes is an automatic F and there’s no class participation grade or anything like that. I went back an checked.</p>

<p>I’m really not learning anything in the class. All he does is read power points, which are just a rehash of the book. I’ve not skipped any other classes before, even ones which I thought were bad and where I could learn the material faster on my own, but this guy is really awful. </p>

<p>As for not wanting to hurt his feelings, I don’t want to. I’m betting this class was something he “got stuck with” since he has never taught it before. However, he’s employed as someone who teaches the subject. If I shouldn’t expect him to already know the material from when he was a student, I should be able to expect him to learn it before he comes to class and presents it. He doesn’t do that. I don’t even think he makes an attempt to do that. </p>

<p>As for paying for the class, I’ve paid for it. It’s done, I can’t get my money back. If I could go back I would and I’d take a different class, but I can’t. </p>

<p>Anyway, to stop arguing that…</p>

<p>I have some other classes for which I can do some homework or study for while in Econ, so I can go sit in and get something productive done, however, isn’t that just as much of an insult as not going? The classroom is small, 30 students but after the first 2 lectures only like 15 or 20 show up anymore. He would easily be able to tell that I’m doing something for another class. I don’t think he’d be the type to say anything about it, but he’d see. I could go to class and sit on the side to make it less obvious, but is this a better option than not showing up?</p>

<p>And amarkov, how did you know the class was 4 hours a week?</p>

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<p>4 hours a week is pretty standard.</p>

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<p>College is college: class shouldn’t be madatory. If you can get the material on your own, what’s the point in attending class? Grades are arbitrary: the purpose of school should be to learn material, not get a grade. All a grade is is feedback, telling you “you need to be improving in this area, you’re doing fine here, try to continue in this direction.” If you really want to stay in class, do the reading beforehand, and take your computer to class: when you hit something that interests you in the reading, google it and essentially make it an “advanced” class. You should hit upon the topics more in depth than the textbook goes. When you write essays, put stuff on it that extends beyond the scope of this single course. If I was only taking one course, and it was that easy, I’d get extremely bored unless I did extra, independent learning.</p>

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<p>It doesn’t really matter what you think the purpose of school should be. The fact is, getting good grades help. Getting worse grades than you could have because you think grades are arbitrary is just dumb.</p>