Every Cut Counts

Why do students skip class? The reasons are virtually endless: fatigue, boredom, hangovers, family and/or relationship troubles, the season finale of "Breaking Bad", a sports game, or more commonly "I don't have to go to that class to pass." While we all know that there are many reasons to skip, many neglect the fact that there are many consequences to skipping. Its con¬sequences can be juxtaposed with Newton's third law of motion--for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
To begin, when skipping a class, a student misses the lesson of that particular day and like a domino effect, they subsequently lose guidance on the homework, and eventually, when the time comes, they are more likely than not going to "skip" that section of the quiz/test that correlates with the missed lesson. That's two negative outcomes within the first consequence.
Secondly, the student now has one unexcused absence strike against them.
Here at Plymouth State University, students are allotted three unexcused absences a semester. In praise of attending classes, some professors here at Plymouth State University will add 2.5% onto your final grade for not exceeding the allotted three absences, whereas others will deduct 10% off your final grade for each absence exceeding the three allotted absences.
Looking at your grade in this case, if you are absent seven times, this results in automatic failure of that class.
In regards to the effect of student absences, the Director of Student Account Services, Andrew Morrow said, "Leaving aside the academic consequences for the student, it's not just the student that's missing that information, but also all of the other students in that class. Clearly, part of the point of learning this way rather than having an online tutorial or just reading a textbook, is that you get the value of that interaction."
On average, the in-state cost for a public 4-year university is $8,737. Assuming that you have a 15-week semester with classes running 15 hours per week, you would be paying S19.42 for each class period. (If you notice, PSU's tuition is higher than the average school, with upwards of $11,000). Though this may not sound like a whole lot of money, it does add up to some pretty substantial numbers.
The average student skips 13 classes a semester, 26 classes per year and 104 classes in their college career. This equates to $2,400.32 worth of skipped classes. Morrow acknowledges that "sometimes students are in real difficulties for some reason or another and there are resources here on campus to help. I'd like to see students reach out and take advantage of those resources. I think we have to be aware that it is not always simple."
Lexi King, a first year student studying Environmental Science and Policy here at PSU, attends every class and has a B+ average. Upon being asked how she felt about students who skip class, King very passionately stated, "I think it's a serious waste of money. They pay thousands of dollars to take classes at Plymouth, not to skip class for whatever reason. It is completely foolish." King added that she feels when students miss class, they are most likely going to miss small, yet important things that won't be in a textbook or on Moodle.
A second student interviewed wished to remain anonymous. He is a Freshman Applied Mathematics major, hoping to pursue a concentration in fluid dynamics. This student claims to have skipped upwards of 30 classes and has C's and D's and is failing two classes.
When asked why he is failing, he replied that it is due mainly to participation. As the interview concluded, the student said that he skips class for a reason, "I don't learn anything in class. Everything I need to know, I have already learned. My high school prepared me well."
Contrary to the belief of students who skip, even when making decent marks on assignments and exams, absences may harm their overall grade. Students must keep in mind that annual tuition is a flat rate and whether you it to class or not, you are still paying for it - with no possible reimbursement.
When reflecting on how much material professors go over in a single class period, students should to think about what they are truly losing when they decide not to attend a lecture - enlightenment, face-to-face communication, and most eminent, money.