Reply to Can a student rarely attend lectures and still do well in a class?

Forum Index » College and University Discussion

Reply to "Can a student rarely attend lectures and still do well in a class?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My freshman son (in a selective top 20) NEVER attends his physics lecture and rarely attends chemistry.  He does participate in the labs and attends "tutorials."  Right now he has a B+ and a B in the classes but promises he will end up with an A in at least Chemistry, possibly physics.  Would he potentially do better if he attends the lectures?  I didn't go to a four year college, so I am kind of clueless!

PS:  I know this because I have been tracking him (please don't make this thread it about this issue).  I haven't brought it up to him and don't plan to unless he ends up with poor performance.[/quote]

I would hope that some of the other posters are correct and the lectures are the big intro lectures that are taped or follow the textbook exactly, with the real learning in the labs and tutorials. In this case it would seem like your kid is ok.

Personally, I wouldn't take the risk of skipping the lectures. You just never know what little information you might gain that could be valuable on exams. And what else is he doing with the time? Sleeping in? Point out that each class hour is the equivalent of $X tuition dollars.

I only missed one class in all of college and that was because I was sick. [/quote]

OP here. Yes, I agree to a point, but if DS comes out of the semester with a 3.5 or higher, I will not nag him.  I want him to have autonomy.  But if he gets a C or below in one of these classes, I will certainly call him on it...especially Chemistry, where he doesn't have to good reason to not attend.  The physics teacher's accent is so thick, a lot of kids complain about him...so I get it.  Sounds like going to a lecture you cannot understand where the notes are available online is a waste of time.[/quote]

how on earth do you know that a lot of kids complain?[/quote]

My son told me and also I read about it on Rate My Professors.[/quote]

it is time to step away from the child.

Your son may very well have a bad professor, but "accent" is often what people turn to instead of the real problem: the class is hard, or the professor isn't prepared (goes both ways). 
[/quote]

Really?  Why on Earth would a kid make that up?  If the professor is unprepared, then he would just say so, no?  You people just looking for any way to trash the smart kid who can get As and Bs without going to class.  Some people can do that and get away with it.  If the kid is going to tutorials and labs and studying the notes, he is probably fine.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics