Lucy MooreAs the end of the semester approaches, and the last round of exams and papers looms, students may feel the need to take a little time off from class.
Some professors may be intolerant of skipping classes, while others may not mind, but most students do not have an issue with it.
The reason most cited by students to skip class is “sleeping in.” Tired students either want to catch up on sleep, or are too tired to be motivated to go to class.
“I sleep in because sleep is better than class,” said junior Rachael Grimes.
Another student, who wished to remain anonymous in case her professor reads Student Life, said “I’m just as likely to fall asleep during class if I go, so I might as well not go.”
Considering that many students stay up past 2 a.m., this trend is not surprising. Sometimes the body just takes over and people sleep through the alarm.
“If I skip class, it’s not intentional. I’ll usually just accidentally sleep in,” said sophomore Michael Safyan.
Student Health Services recommends all students get a full night of sleep, and have pamphlets on good sleeping habits and time management scattered around the dorms.
Some professors are sympathetic, but many grade on attendance. Unless there is a real emergency, they tend to be unsympathetic.
“[Cutting class] would be like buying a $100 movie ticket and not showing up,” said Christopher Hom, professor of philosophy.
The grade weight given to attendance often causes students to create false excuses and ridiculous reasons. Many professors have favorites.
“The most ridiculous excuse: My girlfriend’s roommate has a headache,” said an amused James D. Reid, professor of psychology.
Pre-med students do have an advantage over other majors. The large chemistry and biology lectures, such as General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Principals of Biology and Biochemistry, are all available as streaming downloads over the Internet. While the practice is strongly discouraged by the respective professors, some students rarely attend these larger lectures, instead watching them at home. However, there is a real risk of becoming complacent and falling behind.
Students are not alone in playing hooky. A survey by CareerBuilder.com found that over 30 percent of workers have called in sick when they were not. Ten percent have done it three times or more per year. Much like students, their top reasons were a need to relax or catch up on sleep. However, students should be wary of being nonchalant about sick days upon entering the real world; over 25 percent of bosses have fired a worker for false excuses.
Among the more amusing excuses offered by employees included: “Employee was poisoned by mother-in-law,” “a buffalo escaped from the game reserve and kept charging the employee every time she tried to go to her car from her house,” and “Employee broke his leg snowboarding off his roof while drunk.”
Both professors and employers can rest easy knowing cutting doesn’t occur all the time. Most students and employees asked both responded they cut only on rare occasions.
As the anonymous student put it, “Sometimes we just need a break.”