Are You Sure It’s Not Cancelled?

By , January 18, 2011 8:28 am

[This study tip was provided by Brandon Maurer, senior in the Bloch School who is currently serving as SGA Comptroller.]

There is no single thing your collegiate success hinges upon more than good test taking. Some of us are spectacular test takers, and unfortunately, many of us are overwhelmed at times by the pressure of taking an exam and/or material at hand. If there’s one thing we as students have to combat the impending doom of possibly repeating a course in summer school, it’s the idea that simply attending class on a regular basis greatly increases your chances of succeeding.

Sure, we all have to take classes that we aren’t thrilled about. There’s nothing worse than staying up late and having to wake up early the next morning for a class you have little or no interest in.  I’ve met several people throughout my time in school that didn’t care about class, stopped going all together, dropped out of school, took online classes, and/or shared trips to class between friends. Consider this: actually going to class just might have really important, super secret, and borderline miraculous effects on your grades.

Honestly, if I had heard that line more than two years ago, I would have blown it off. Who cares? I’ll go to class when we have an assignment due or a test. What’s worse than a teacher who tries to keep you in class by giving in-class assignments or quizzes? Sure, they’re just points, but will they really make that big of a difference? But maybe, just maybe, there are unseen or unspoken benefits of actually going to class.

First of all, some classes actually require attendance. Although this can be an extreme annoyance and reminder that you’re only a few months removed from high school, it often times comes bundled with attendance points. These points are an excellent way to help close the gap between two grades. Although I’m not a huge fan of requiring attendance as part of the course, I can bask in the fact that my grade is rewarded by my presence.

Secondly, the people you meet in class will greatly enhance the probability of your success in the course. The more people you know the better. Once you are able to hold each other accountable for being in class, it will become more difficult to skip. There’s no doubt that throughout my college career, I had people counting on me to show up, and that peer pressure helped me overcome a warm and inviting bed on a cold winter morning.

Additionally, the more relationships you can establish with people in your classes, the better chance you have of forming a study group. These groups are imperative in many courses at UMKC, and often times they are your only saving grace in an otherwise dreadful situation. Misery loves company, so enduring challenging courses with your peers not only establishes trust, it also provides a chance for additional learning to occur.

As far as relationships go, your relationship with your professor is another important reason to attend class. As every business student has learned, managing your brand whether it’s a student or a professional is extremely important, and no one is going to know who you are or what you’re about if you don’t show up. Having a personal relationship with my professors has done so much more than help me understand class material. My professors have helped in countless job opportunities and with overcoming personal development challenges. If you’re never in class, it is far less likely that these relationships will exist.

I don’t want to discount the students that can play the college game from home or through their computers. If you decide that it’s more important to stay up late, sleep, go shopping, play games, or whatever you do instead of going to class, I can only hope that you have mastered the material, know everyone there is to know at UMKC, enjoy all the additional extracurricular activities you’ve had the chance to be involved in, have excellent relationships with all of your professors, and have several career leads prior to graduating. If for some reason you don’t have all these things lined up, it might be a good idea to let that alarm hit, collect yourself, and remember that no matter how bad you think it’s going to be, the benefits of going to class will far surpass the challenges of getting there.

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