Going to class should be a priority

Staff Report

We at The Daily Eastern News have three simple words we would like to share with you.

No, it’s not “I love you” or “It’s happy hour.”

What we want and need to tell you is…

Go to class.

Something so easy to say but apparently harder to do, going to class at the beginning of the semester is similar to the Juicy Couture tracksuit phase of the 2000s: it starts out strong and dies out quickly.

And believe us when we tell you, everyone notices. Especially your professors and the members in your group project.

Think you’re safe sleeping in and blowing off class because it’s an “Easy A” course? That “Easy A” can be taken away as easily as it could have been given if you simply showed up, participated and did your work.

Plan on taking the backseat while the members of your group do your part of the project on top of their own assigned responsibilities? Oftentimes, group projects are actually graded on the individuals and their contributions. We doubt your group members will feel obligated to give you your share of the glory in exchange for your failure to share the workload. Chances are your professor will be on their side and given your absences and lack of effort, this will be an easy decision for them to make.

Scrambling to figure out a way to manage stress and deadlines? Good luck getting an extension on any of your assignments. We’re sure your professors would be more than understanding of their student who has more absences than there are grains of sand on a beach. We bet they totally believe you have had strep throat for the past 10 class periods, too.

On a more serious note, we understand that life gets in the way. Life’s obstacles that present themselves to us can affect how we feel and perform as a human, and especially how we feel and perform as a student. But there is a line: being purely lazy is not an excuse.

Being able to afford a college education and receive a degree is a luxury that not everyone has access to. By being lazy and skipping class, you are not only being disrespectful to your professors and classmates, but you’re also taking a privilege for granted.

Next time you want to skip class for whatever illegitimate reason you are trying to convince yourself is a valid excuse, consider how your absence will affect your grades. Think about how it changes the point of view your classmates and professors have of as not only a student, but also a professional. Think about how much money you are wasting that someone who wishes they could have so they could be in your position.