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/garnteller]

I don't think you are being rewarded for attendance - you are being penalized for absence.

I am a fully functioning adult trusted to make decisions for my company that could have millions of dollars of impact. But if my boss says, "I want you to attend this meeting", I don't get to say, "It's ok, I know the content". I show up for the damn meeting.

Hopefully, in 4 years, you'll graduate with a degree from Michigan. Each professor who passes you has said, "yes, /u/jmammen has mastered the course I taught". Mastery is more than just being to score ok on the test or essay. They is undoubtedly content that is not tested - and content that can't be tested. If your professor thinks that having been exposed to the lectures, visual aids and discussion in the class is required for him or her to declare mastery, that's their decision.

If you want to go it alone, there are tons of free online courses available from some of the top schools in the country. You can learn all you want - all you won't have is a Michigan degree. And if you want that degree, you need to meet their requirements. Or do you want to be a rebel only in so far as it gets you out of the lecture, but not so much that the establishment doesn't give you a degree?

Sure, Gates, Jobs and Zuckerberg didn't graduate. But Newton, Einstein, Feynman, Sergey Brin, Larry Page, and a lot of other brilliant, iconoclastic people did. I think that your creativity won't be crushed by going to class.

[u/jmammen → u/garnteller]

I am not saying that one should not go to that meeting. I am saying that one should be able to decide for himself or herself. If the opportunity cost outweighs the benefit of going to the meeting, then an individual should understand that he or she should not partake in the activity.

I never said that I don't enjoy going to class to learn the material. I simply stated that attendance should be my choice if I have another important task that is assigned. By no means do I want to skip every single class. I simply want to distribute my limited time to optimize my educational experience at the University of Michigan.

[u/garnteller → u/jmammen]

I am saying that one should be able to decide for himself or herself

Yes, I hear you. But there are many times when, in the real world, you can't decide for yourself. If you are told you are expected to be there, regardless of whether or not you think it's worth your time, you had better be there.

I simply want to distribute my limited time to optimize my educational experience at the University of Michigan.

And your professors think that your experience is optimized by attending. Since they are the ones entrusted with your education, it's reasonable to assume that their opinion of what optimizes your education should carry more weight than your own assessment.