<p>Well, this was my first semester as a college student, so my strategy could change yet, but this semester I literally attended every class of every subject. I got all A's, one being an A- in my hardest class. It was odd because even though my classes ranged from a 20 person seminar to a 240 person lecture, I had attendance taken in every class, except for math maybe, but it was suicide not to go to that class. Getting the notes from a friend wouldn't work in that case because it was voodoo math that required instructor demonstration to understand. Plus that professor was awesome so that made going to class all the more pleasant. </p>
<p>My basic conclusion: Attendance during class assured that I understood the material. It served so much as review, in some cases, that my required study time was very small and I did quite well in the class. Other than that, grades simply correlate with difficulty of subject matter. The class I found the hardest was my lowest grade.</p>
<p>While all the typical college advice suggests "ALWAYS GO TO CLASS" I beg to differ. </p>
<p>Case in point; I had 4 classes this semester; 2 in which I always showed up to (both discussion classes-I received 3.5's in both). One of my other classes was 1/2 lecture and 1/2 discussion. I always showed up to discussion, and seldom showed up to lecture. I got a 4.0. My final class was lecture; attendance wasn't required and I maybe showed up to half of the classes. I received a 4.0. </p>
<p>Honestly it's all about time allocation in my point of view. I knew when to show up to class and when not to. Obviously, if attendance is taken (and is part of a class grade) you show up. But in my two lecture classes, attendance wasn't taken and my time was better spent elsewhere (sleeping or studying or eating bagels). My one lecture class was an obvious choice to skip because attendance wasn't taken, it was an 8:30am class across campus, the professor just read off his detailed powerpoints for lecture, and posted all the powerpoints online for anyone to access. Hence I could learn all the information myself more efficiently than going to a class in which I would likely fall asleep in (or be bored stiff either way). I didn't skip class whenever I wanted; I skipped class with "discipline," if there is such a thing. If you are capable of knowing when to skip a class and when not to, and stick to it, then you might as well do so.</p>
<p>Once, there was a class I NEVER went to, and I still got an A. But that's the exception to rule. I go about 80-90% of the time and get high grades (A and A- with the occasional B+). So it's best to go. Even on small issues it makes a huge difference. I can get an A in a history class if I use lecture material in my essays - then the professor knows you were actually in class listening to them and their theories.</p>
<p>Well my hardest class was Chem last semester but I never learned a single thing in the class anyway since my professor sucked (don't confuse intelligence with teaching ability).</p>
<p>I could have skipped every lecture and I would have gotten the same grade.</p>
<p>i try to go to smaller classes (anything <30 people) almost every time (with maybe 2 or so absences when i'm sick or too tired or whatever), but i pretty chronically skip big lectures if they're uninteresting or i can't stay awake in them..</p>
<p>i try to attend all my lectures as much as i can, except for a couple of times when im too lazy because its too early in the morning. i also go to discussions only when i think i need the extra help in the material. its all relative. if ur a good self-studier, then u would skip class more often or if ur professor isnt the best.</p>
<p>I missed one session of each class on the M-Tu of Thanksgiving week b/c I flew overseas to spend the holiday with my parents. Another time I also missed one lecture of Art Appreciation due to laziness. Ended my 1st semester with all A's.</p>
<p>I strongly agree with everything ee33ee has said about Intro To Econ.</p>
<p>I go to my classes fairly regularly, probably missed in all about 7 classes this semester, and ended up with a 3.26. (goddamn b- in applications of finite math, the one class where I never skipped).</p>
<p>I don't see how that would work, honestly. For several of my classes, miss one and you miss whatever's on the next quiz. I can't imagine hardly ever going at all.</p>
<p>Well for Econ, I imagine that ee33ee was in a similar situation where it was simply a few tests every couple of weeks and online/written homework assignments. Going to class for me was often unproductive because the teacher's accent was difficult to understand and because the economic texts were much more clearer in their explanations of theories.</p>
<p>All of the classes at my college are under 20 students (and the average size is 12), so I have to be there or else the professor really does notice. I usually allow myself one missed class per course per term, anything more and I feel guilty.</p>
<p>I skipped my classes altogether at least 20 times, mostly chem 1 and calc 1 because I had taken similar courses in high school. I skipped genetics and political science at least 4 times each. I got a 4.0 this semester. The only time that classes help me is when I have not and will not do the reading. Otherwise, they're next-to-pointless.</p>
<p>I go to almost all of the lectures. I had five classes last semester and never skipped a calc or stats lecture, skipped one lecture for econ and psych (each), and skipped about a quarter of all microbio lectures. I have a 3.65. Also, some lectures you can skip and some you can't. The grades in the individual classes usually don't reflect my attendance patterns.</p>
<p>i have a lot of friends that never went to class, and this past semester they had 3.75+ averages. no joke. and they partied HARD. i am also in the honors dorm so that might be it??</p>
<p>i went out a lot too, but i didn't miss class....so that would explain my good grades i guess</p>
<p>Usually I have about 2-4 absences in each class per semester. Last semester, I just quit going to one of my classes after thanksgiving, and I still managed a B (it was a generic science core class, really easy freshman level). I have a 3.75 gpa that semester, 3.47 overall.
Some classes, attendance affects your grade, either directly (more than 3 absences=highest possible grade is a B) or indirectly (attendance is only used if you are bordering C/B, B/A, etc. and high attendance will bump you up). I had once class where I had been absent 5 times but one was excused by a doctor's note. She was going to dock my grade down to a B if I hadn't had the doctor's excuse.</p>
<p>In some courses, it is imperative to get on the Professor's good side and show that you care about the material, and that you are a hard worker. The syllabus for two of my small, upper division seminar courses in my major did not have a grade breakdown, or even a list of assignments with due dates. It was just "You will have a midterm, final, and final paper, with a yet to be determined about of quizzes" Essentially, the grade was up to the Professor and his/her perception of your work.</p>