How are you doing in college?

[Ragu4]

Hey all,
How's college going? Are you doing well? Is attendance an issue?

For me, i'm making all B's in my major courses, but totally failing french due to a lack of caring. As for attendance, I hate how they're using that as a grading system. Granted I understand TAKING attendance, but I disagree using it as part of your grade. How are you doing?

[Ave07]

Bad unfortunately since I don't like this major.

[Jester Joe]

Meh, because I fail to be motivated to actually study, which I probably should for Botany. Never studied for any class up until now, so it's a hard habit to shake, even harder to learn how to study efficiently.
Otherwise my math class I'm doing fine, same for Fitness Walking, and Communications I could probably aim to do a bit better.
Also I definitely agree with attendance, I take public transportation due to not having a car, and if it breaks down I'm screwed, so I can't really afford to stay home if sick.

[Endus]

As for attendance, I hate how they're using that as a grading system. Granted I understand TAKING attendance, but I disagree using it as part of your grade.

They do this in undergrad courses because they're trying to break students of the public school mindset, where education is a burden you skip out on at every opportunity.

You're paying to be there. Skipping classes is equivalent to burning money. If you don't want to go to class, just don't take the class in the first place.

You stop seeing "attendance" as part of the grading the moment you hit third- and fourth-year classes, or do graduate studies. Both because it's small enough class sizes that they know when you're not there, and because you can't be skipping classes in the first place. If your school is anything close to credible, you can't get by with just the readings; the readings are what they get you to do before or between classes so that everyone has a basic grasp of certain concepts before the next class. If you're just doing the readings and skipping the classes, you're missing the most important parts of the instruction.

And I say this as a dude who skipped a lot of classes like an idiot in my first year at university.

[Brooxi]

I'm in the second semester of my first year. First semester I got four A+ and the fifth course was a P/F course and I Passed.

This semester I missed a week and a half of school due to being sick and another week due to my dad dying and attending his funeral. My grades are a bit lower this semester due to that... Right now I have two A+ and 3 A's.

Most teachers don't take attendance and the few that do it doesn't count for marks at my college though. It's up to you if you want to show up or not.

[Belize]

4.0 for now *knocks on wood*

Hopefully it'll stay that way, but I doubt it. Curse you forced electives that I don't care about!

[-aiko-]

When I was in college it didn't go well...
The only part time jobs I could find were basically on call so I missed and failed a lot of classes. Only barely managed to turn it around.

[Symphonic]

I started out horribly when I first began College. I was living away from my parents, and was able to do whatever I wanted! Most of the time, that meant skipping classes and playing WoW - it was the year it was released, I was obsessed with it ever since I was in the closed beta.

Anyway, eventually I quit for 2 years and didn't play WoW or go to school. I served a mission for my church. When I came back I was a different, better person, who knew better how to make sure I knew what my priorities were. I realized I didn't have a passion for the school I was at, and nothing interested me. So I moved out of state to Florida and went to film school. I graduated with my bachelor's degree with a 3.7 GPA, and out of the hundreds of hours of school, I only missed 4 of them. I loved going to my classes and learning about things that interested me.

[Crissi]

I did pretty bad attendance wise the last 2 years of undergrad, which has screwed me quite a bit so I advise anyone to not skip classes

Also, work your ass off on any projects given, because doing extremely well on my capstone course massive major project is why I was able to get into a highly regarded graduate school lol. On probation for first semester because of my gpa being below what they ask for, but still...

[Authary]

As someone who has to teach little shits at what you call "graduate" and "undergraduate" levels, I confirm that using attendance in the grading system is a more... formal, and perhaps efficient, form of my own "I don't give a fuck about students who are not serious so fuck them" strategy.

[Rabian]

I almost failed out my first quarter, but I kicked myself in the ass and in recent times I have been on the Deans list for 2 years straight Just finished my degree in Earth and Space Science and my masters program starts in 4 days (I plan on teaching middle school science).

As far as skipping classes, it takes some careful judgement but you can get away with it in some cases. The Astronomy class I took last quarter I attended 3 times out of about 20 lectures and still got a 3.9, but, I felt comfortable with the material. If it was a hardcore math or physics class I would not skip it, but, some people do who already know it all.

[Pitkanen]

Most important factor in college performance generally is... show up to class. You don't know what you don't know until you hear it. And most classes begin with a boring review of stuff you probably know, but a few of your classmates forgot, or maybe you forgot too... but it's a trap because new content is coming/being mixed in soon.

Generally, I disliked attendance requirements because they were usually on classes that I felt like I could pass without attending by just reading the book. But for those classes I could usually take the midterm with 2-3 hours of note reviewing tops because I heard, saw and wrote everything I had to know. Because I showed up. In many-most subjects, there are very few things you need to know for exams that aren't said or displayed in class.

[Kraenen]

4.0 for now *knocks on wood*

Hopefully it'll stay that way, but I doubt it. Curse you forced electives that I don't care about!

is that a 4.0 out of 5 or out of 4?

[Jester Joe]

They do this in undergrad courses because they're trying to break students of the public school mindset, where education is a burden you skip out on at every opportunity.

You're paying to be there. Skipping classes is equivalent to burning money. If you don't want to go to class, just don't take the class in the first place.

You stop seeing "attendance" as part of the grading the moment you hit third- and fourth-year classes, or do graduate studies. Both because it's small enough class sizes that they know when you're not there, and because you can't be skipping classes in the first place. If your school is anything close to credible, you can't get by with just the readings; the readings are what they get you to do before or between classes so that everyone has a basic grasp of certain concepts before the next class. If you're just doing the readings and skipping the classes, you're missing the most important parts of the instruction.

And I say this as a dude who skipped a lot of classes like an idiot in my first year at university.

Well, I usually aim for perfect attendance, but my complaint about it at my college, more than two absences either decreases your grade, or is an automatic failure.
But two is only allowed if your class meets twice a week, once a week, you only get one absence. It's a bit overkill. I don't need like 5 absences allowed, I get that the semesters are quick, but I feel like it should be a bit less strict, give a bit more wiggle room at least. I don't even want them just for "Oh I don't feel like going today", just what if I get sick 3 times in the semester? It's not common, but sometimes it happens. Or sick twice, and the bus breaks down the 3rd?

I agree that attendance is important, but I mean if I'm paying for it, give me a bit less stress, since they're draining all my money already :x

[worprz]

Pretty good, I graduate in 2 months so there's that.. I never understood attendance as part of your grade, we should be responsible for ourselves. My spanish class is an automatic fail if you miss 10 classes.

[Jester Joe]

Pretty good, I graduate in 2 months so there's that.. I never understood attendance as part of your grade, we should be responsible for ourselves. My spanish class is an automatic fail if you miss 10 classes.

10 classes?! How long are your semesters? o.o

[Theinquisition]

Well before the Army I was a Electrical engineering major 2 years in. I had a 3.5, which is pretty good for such a technical major.

Gonna be starting school again in Sept. Going for radiology, hopefully I can continue to do well after a 11 year hiatus from higher education.

[Ragu4]

Cool responses, thanks guys!
Sorry about your dad passing, my sister passed away last September, and that's been haunting me still. I still have dreams that I think she's still alive (she had stage 4 cancer and lost the ability to walk, so I was part of her care group for 2 years). But it's really a poor excuse, because I think she would be VERY disappointed in me for doing this. However, it has opened my eyes a bit. I have the mindset that I can only take careers that are guaranteed to have a promising future, but if I don't enjoy taking them that i'm not really trying anymore, whats the point. I think i'm going into a more creative writing styled major next semester. Technical Communication is a good field, but whenever I do writing projects for the class, I'm getting reprimanded for, and I quote, "too stylized". I'm seeing my adviser next Friday/Monday, so i'll discuss my options with them.

[Ragu4]

Well, I'm at community college, which feels like being trapped in a special ed. class. There are people here who, despite the ridiculously low standards, actually think a C is an acceptable grade.

My biggest regret was going to community college and getting my associates degree. It took away my core buffer classes, taught me NOTHING about progressing from high school to a 4-year, and was WAY too easy. I graduated with a 3.8, would have had a 4.0 but made a few C's during my last semester due to an extreme lack of caring.

[Garnier Fructis]

If your school is anything close to credible, you can't get by with just the readings; the readings are what they get you to do before or between classes so that everyone has a basic grasp of certain concepts before the next class. If you're just doing the readings and skipping the classes, you're missing the most important parts of the instruction.

And I say this as a dude who skipped a lot of classes like an idiot in my first year at university.

Your mileage may vary.

I go to top 50 school in U.S. and it has been my experience that aside from a few courses, I don't generally need to show up and listen to lecture to succeed. I just finished a math class where I had like a 95% raw score in a class where the average on two midterms was around 50% each, and I showed up to less than half the lectures. I wasn't even mentally there when I showed up to lectures. Primarily because I stop paying attention the first time I hear a stupid question, which is usually about 5 minutes in.

But just as you said, I haven't gotten by with just reading the book. But to make up for it, I make extensive use of office hours and other texts from the library. Basically, any means I can to avoid going to lectures that I decide are a waste of time. My guiding principle in University is best described by the way one of my professors described his own teaching: "I cannot teach you. Only you can teach yourself. I'm just here to guide you." Ironically, he was one of the clearest and most insightful professors I've ever had. Taught like a master.

To answer the OP, I'm doing pretty good. I have only one B, and that came as a result of seriously misjudging the value of the lectures in that class. That was a course where I should have attended 100% of the time.