<p>Can anyone answer this question? Say a person is flying home for the thanksgiving holiday. Naturally they are going to need to leave on Wednesday at least (or even Tuesday) and returning on Monday would of course be better than Sunday. How flexible is school and classes that students who live a flight away can leave for the holidays. Do kids often miss classes for travel?</p>
<p>Professors don’t keep attendance so the only thing you have to worry about is test and papers. Leaving a day or two early is pretty common. The best information is to make the reservation as early as possible. (for $$ savings). Southwest, I think, still allows a flight change without a fee charge if plans change.</p>
<p>some classes do take attendance. you can also not usually miss labs at all.</p>
<p>we always wait until the semester starts to find out teachers’ policies etc. before we make any reservations.</p>
<p>but to answer your final question … yes, many students miss class days around breaks.</p>
<p>I think most professors give out the syllabus and that should list tests and such. My son had a physics exam on the Friday before spring break and he forgot about it and we booked his flight and shuttle to the airport already. He would not have made the shuttle. Luckily he was able to take the exam an hour early and he got a ride to the airport so it all worked out luckily.</p>
<p>My D had a number of classes this past year where attendance was taken and affected one’s grade. She also had a prof who cancelled class the Tuesday before Tgiving because half the class had flights that would necessitate missing the class. I think you need to know each prof’s policies ahead of time (or be willing to risk skipping a class that affects a grade). I don’t think most syllabi for fall are available now, but you can get an idea of a prof’s attendance policies by looking on mybama for the syllabus for the applicable class from a prior semester.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that Thanksgiving falls very late this year (2013). Thereafter, there is only 1 full week of school (“dead” week - ha!), Dec 2-6, then finals week Dec 9-13. For that reason, I’m guessing Fall Break will be a more popular travel date this year, and more kids will stay in Tuscaloosa for Thanksgiving. Fall 2013 Academic calendar: [Fall</a> 2013 Academic Calendar | The Office of the University Registrar - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://registrar.ua.edu/academics/academic-calendars/fall-2013-academic-calendar/#tab=tab-1]Fall”>http://registrar.ua.edu/academics/academic-calendars/fall-2013-academic-calendar/#tab=tab-1)</p>
<p>thanks for all the information but I am confused, fall break is only oct 31 and nov 1?</p>
<p>Yes, plus that weekend of course, so a 4 day weekend only.</p>
<p>hi thanks, where do you see syllabus on mybama?</p>
<p>one more question, would a student be able to leave right after finals?</p>
<p>thanks Aeromom, this is all new to me so trying to plan a trip home in the fall and then of course for the holidays.</p>
<p>Yes, a student can leave right after the finals.</p>
<p>class syllabi are only sometimes posted. in myBama look at a particular course that you have signed up for. when you click on the CRN ( course registration number) it should bring up a catalog entry, which will have, in my opinion, a very poor short description of the course. sometimes next to that will be a link to the course syllabus. I think once a course has started you can view the syllabus in Blackboard as well. someone else who has been poking around their student’ myBama account probably has a better idea than I do about this.</p>
<p>aeromom, just curious, if a student can leave right after finals, why do they start the break on the calendar so many days later?</p>
<p>Catinhat, there is one week of finals. Break starts Saturday after the Friday of finals week. What are you looking at ?</p>
<p>The Academic Calendar reflects both when the University will be open/closed, as well as when classes are in session. The week after finals the University will be open…but no students will be there (or very few)…and it will be closed starting Dec 21. If you do not have a final on the last days of final week, you are free to leave after <em>your</em> last final. You don’t have to stick around for the remainder of the week. The Academic Calendar also shows the official days that school is in session. Not all students have classes/finals on those academic days. Similarly, if your student does not have classes on a Monday (e.g.), you could come back from break a day later if you wished.</p>