Skip Class, Ace Tests

The weather outside is beautiful. You don't want to get out of bed. You're hungry. There are so many reasons that might tempt college students to skip class. With the following tips, learn how to ditch classes without falling behind.

• Syllabus Week. This is the time at the beginning of each semester when nothing goes on in class. Teachers go over their syllabus (which you have been hearing since elementary school), and most students are still adding and dropping classes. The bottom line is: this is a free week. Enjoy an extended vacation and go have some fun.
• Day After Tests. Almost every college class is formatted with a couple midterms and a final. After studying hard for these big tests, you deserve a class off. Luckily, the class after midterms almost always consists of a laid-back transition to the next unit. This information is easily obtainable through a quick skim of your textbook, a glance at your friend's notes, or simply by paying attention in the following classes.
• Sick Days. Unlike high school, teachers really only have one option when you email them saying that you are sick or have a family emergency - they have to believe you. This strategy can extend deadlines for homework, projects, and tests, and sometimes even convince the teacher to send you the information that you will miss in class. However, use Sick Days with caution: don't use more than two emailed excuses to a single professor, or he/she might become suspicious. If you have around five subjects per semester, that's an extra ten classes you can easily skip.
• The Partial Skip. All too often, professors will ramble on about useless ideas or stories for most of the class period. Fortunately, these professors tend to be predictable. After a few weeks, you should be able to notice patterns of when important information will be given and/or attendance will be taken. For example, I took an Oceanography class last semester that was absolutely terrible. I didn't care about anything the professor was saying, and I wanted to skip every single class. However, the professor made use of the iClicker to take attendance and give participation points. After figuring out what part of class the iClicker was used the most, I averaged only five minutes of actually attending class. I received an A- for the semester.
• Make Friends, Skip Class. A good portion of college classes don't take attendance. This means, as long as your getting the information, you really don't need to go. Therefore, making friends with good note-taking skills is a must. Find out who you know in your classes and convince them that you deserve a copy of their notes. I like to think of this in terms of efficiency: why have two people do the same job?
• Pick the Right Classes. Last semester, my roommate went three full weeks without attending a single class. He finished with a 3.83 GPA. How did he do it? He happened to be an expert in the Make Friends, Skip Class category, but he also had an awesome schedule. He took two online classes (a great choice for us lazy ones), and got information from friends regarding his other classes. When your making next semester's schedule, be sure to talk to your friends and take the same courses as them. This makes skipping class as easy hanging out with your friends.
• Just Skip. You know you should go, but sometimes skipping class just seems so appealing. You might miss some participation or attendance points, but those extra hours of sleep can be worth it. Don't make a habit of this method, but if you do skip without a good reason, make sure you attend the next class.