I don’t cut class because I’m a bad student. I do it because sometimes I need to slack off a bit in order to really thrive. Life is unpredictable. There are occasions when I just can’t be there, and other times I simply don’t want to be. Often there are other things I would rather be doing, like jetting off to the hot springs or sleeping in. Besides, you better believe that I have someone there taking notes for me.
The truth is, being a slave to your academic schedule just does not sit well with me. My time is my own to manage. While I can understand why you might feel the need to take attendance, I just don’t see what purpose is served other than to learn our names. You might think that it motivates us to come to class and to participate, but why would you want us there if we don’t want to be? Isn’t the fact that we pay thousands of dollars each term enough of an incentive?
It would be easy to spew out the old adage “it’s not you, it’s me,” but dear instructor, it’s both. Occasionally, I’m feeling ill. Sometimes I’m just not in the mood to listen, and other times you fail to really capture my attention. Notice how the more engaging and interesting teachers don’t even bother recording who shows up; they are secure with their abilities as instructors and do not feel the need to resort to force. Still, you continue to mark me off each time I’m physically absent while the boy who habitually sleeps in the third row gets full attendance points despite the fact that he is mentally absent. It just doesn’t seem logical.
It isn’t your responsibility to make sure that I show up to class religiously, it is to teach me something besides what I could learn in a supplementary textbook. It is to engage me and get me excited about what it is that I’m learning. You might feel it is up to you to prepare me for the demands of the real world in areas like responsibility and time-management, but it isn’t. I came to college to learn about myself as an intellectual, not to understand the importance of punctuality.
A mandatory attendance policy does little to foster a stronger learning environment. It’s counterproductive and undermines the integrity of the classroom. I don’t want to be among students who are just there to get their names checked off. Those are the ones who consistently doodle anime all over their notebooks or proceed to text message anyone who will more successfully engage them. They are always the ones who end up shuffling around in the middle of class in order to leave while simultaneously making us all wish we were leaving too. At least if I’m not there I’m not distracting anyone.
Do not be surprised at my predisposition to defy authority. After all, I came here to learn how to think critically and independently both inside and outside of the classroom.
Treat me like an adult and hold me accountable for my actions. Struggling to catch up because I made the conscious decision to skip class is my own fault. Do not be bitter if I successfully grasp the material without the aid of your lectures. If I fail due to my own lack of effort, don’t baby me with reassurances and extensions – it’s my own fault. If I want to pay thousands of dollars a year to mess around and be irresponsible, then that is my own perogative.
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