Yes
April 4, 2023
The real world has attendance requirements. If you don’t meet those expectations, you will get penalized.
Jobs, for example, have required attendance. If you skip a day of work because you’re not up to it, you will probably face consequences. You have to be actively present to achieve your career goals, you can’t coast through your career like you may in college.
College prepares you for the real world, and class attendance only benefits your future and education. Class attendance should be mandatory to ensure students are engaged in their academics. But, even without required attendance, it is your job to show up.
Tests often reflect lectures, so being in class can help you more easily answer test questions.
Most classes use participation to discuss topics in class, which goes beyond just needing to know it for the test. Attendance also makes it easier to work with fellow students and professors to better understand the topics.
Active participation is not just for jobs and school. It can help you in life as well. Attending class, especially as a requirement, would help emphasize that people need to be active in their role in America and society. This includes participating in things like elections, community service, and volunteerism.
Most notably, we must pay for the classes we take, so we are hurting ourselves by wasting money, time, and educational opportunity. Not everyone gets to attend college, let alone the University of Iowa, so take advantage of this opportunity.
Columns reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board, The Daily Iowan, or other organizations in which the author may be involved.
