<p>Is it mandatory or can you just attend the group sessions with a GSI?</p>
<p>depends on the class, but going to lecture is always good.</p>
<p>Usually not mandatory, but some do take attendance. The one lecture I had that did was Calc III – wasn’t actually attendance, rather application of the Quizdom (<- small, hand-held electronic communication device used for answering problems during lecture). I also had a class once where the professor gave out a few random extra credit points throughout the semester to those in attendance to entice showing up.</p>
<p>To echo blackpen, it is beneficial to attend lecture – that is, if you know what’s going on in the course and are paying attention. Certainly not necessary (I’ve gotten by with missing a great deal of lecture in my day), but beneficial. Really depends on the student and how best he/she learns.</p>
<p>I wouldnt be able to cut class simply out of guilt. Its your parents’ money your wasting there. Maybe if it was a complete blowoff (but how many college courses are like that?)</p>
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<p>Yea, I would give some credence to that… but honestly, you’re paying for your grades/your degree. If you aren’t benefiting from lecture or you can do just as well/learn just as much not attending, you’re not “wasting money” by skipping lecture. Once again, it’s particular to the student and the class he’s taking.</p>
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<p>Yes, skipping is mostly pertinent to blowoffs. I have encountered a handful of classes where attending added literally or essentially zero value. Ex. 1: didn’t attend a single lecture in one of my courses sophomore year after the mid-term because the professor lectured straight out of the textbook. Ex. 2: didn’t attend a single lecture in one of my courses junior year after the 1st mid-term because lecture, although not straight out of the textbook, contributed zero additional value to my ability to get an A+ in the class. Those two were extreme cases, but I have experienced several other classes that occupy different parts of the spectrum of not needing to attend at all to needing to attend almost every lecture.</p>
<p>Sometimes you just don’t have the time. I was real busy with pledging a frat and work that class kinda’ came second (or third).</p>
<p>It’s important that you keep your coursework prioritized enough so that you are achieving the grades you need to reach your post-undergrad goals. If you can skip some class and get that done, great. If you can’t, you need to make sure you’re doing what you need to do to maintain your grades. The reason you’re at school to get the job you want (or get into the grad school you want).</p>