BY ALEXIS PFANNENSTIEL
In high school, most students were constantly checked on and even chastised by their parents for attendance and grades. We found ourselves being woken up, driven to school, and not having an option to skip.
In college, without rules or our guardians keeping us on track, it is much harder to attend class. For most of us, we longed and begged to move out, but shortly after our taste of freedom we were hit with adult responsibilities.
Personally, I believe that the hardest thing about college is the constant temptation of dropping out, and not the actual schoolwork.
If you were to walk across campus and ask any student on the quad if they’ve ever thought of dropping out, many might respond with “every day.”
The mix of newfound freedom and the illusion of “optional” classes leaves college students torn between earning a degree or having a short-lived break from responsibilities.
Where high school teachers asked about attendance and contacted your parents, professors have no responsibilities involving our attendance. If we fail, we fail.
If you find yourself in a habit of attending classes regularly, the coursework seems manageable and easy to keep up with. If you accidentally miss or oversleep, staying on track feels impossible and the temptation of skipping more—and even dropping out is almost overpowering.
Frequently when my peers or friends skip, it seems like enough of an excuse for me to skip as well. When we attend the courses, the work is more than feasible, but if we miss even once it seems strenuous to go back.
This temptation reaches students all over campus daily, and it’s talked about frequently. Something that feels like a joke impacts us and weighs on our shoulders walking to class each day.
If you are a student that is struggling to attend your classes, I find that it is best to get in the habit of going regularly. Skipping is a slippery slope and one that college students should try to avoid at all costs to earn their degree.