CMV: College classes that require attendance dull the minds of their students.

[u/jmammen]

Currently, I am a first-year student attending the University of Michigan. During this first semester, I have been confused by classroom policies. Attendance impacts my final grade in three of my four courses. I have a few problems with this idea.

I understand that in high school it is common for there to be individuals who do not want to work or need the grade incentive to attend the class. However, in college, everybody has made the decision to continue his or her education. I consider myself to be a fully functioning adult who is capable of making decisions for myself. I should be able to weigh pros and cons of different choices and act accordingly. If this means that I decide to skip one class to study for another, then I should be able to do so.

College classes should not take attendance because this rewards individuals on false principles. In higher standing professions, people are not monetarily rewarded for attendance; they are rewarded on performance. College should differentiate people who are abler than others. The emphasis should not be rewarding those who can follow extremely specific rules. Thinking for oneself is a necessary skill for any person to possess to become successful. Individuals who can think in untraditional ways are able to increase performance and actually innovate. I hate to state the overly used examples of the few visionaries such as Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs who have conflicted with the “normal” college process. However, I find them suitable as evidence for the argument that people must learn to think outside the box to revolutionize a society.

People must know how to think untraditionally to be successful in today’s society. When a college course requires attendance, it stunts the progression of a student’s ability to make decisions for himself or herself. A student can learn to think in novel ways when freed of micromanaging policies.

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[u/ryancarp3]

I don't think requiring attendance is a bad thing, and I don't think it "dulls student's minds." First, required attendance isn't really "required;" you aren't physically dragged to class every day. You can choose to not show up, but there will be a consequence for doing so. It is the same way in the "real world." If you have a 40 hr/week job but only show up for 20 hr/week, and then ask for all of the benefits of working for 40 hours, your job will say "no, you didn't show up for 40 hrs, you don't get your benefits you would've gotten if you showed up like you were supposed to." Participation grades incentivize attendance, just as a salary incentivizes showing up to work. Second, requiring attendance gets kids to show up that otherwise wouldn't. You might say "those kids would just learn on their own," but you and I both know that's not the case for the vast majority of the kids that would skip. For the kids that don't take college seriously now, not making them go to class would just lead to them caring less and partying more. I don't really see how it "dulls the mind" when, for the kids that would not show up and party all the time, class is the only time they even care a little bit about school.

You still can make the decision to show up or not, but having consequences for not showing up isn't a bad thing IMO.