The following piece is an opinion and does not reflect the views of The Eagle and its staff. All opinions are edited for grammar, style and argument structure and fact-checked, but the opinions are the writer’s own.
As we move into the second half of the fall semester, schedules are busy, assignments are piling up and energy is low. Subsequently, many students start coming to class late or skipping class altogether. Even for on-time students, it is all too easy to mentally check out: physically sitting in class but mentally somewhere totally different.
An estimated 80 percent of college students experience burnout at some point in their academic career. Students experiencing burnout may be less proactive with assignments, coming to class on time to class or might not show up at all. A few late arrivals can quickly morph into a bad habit that derails a whole semester.
When you are late to class, you are not only depriving yourself of instruction that you pay expensive tuition for, but you are disrespecting your professor and peers. Professors deserve respect, and constant tardiness tarnishes a student’s reputation. Being mindful of a professor’s time is an easy way to form a good relationship; constant tardiness and absences will hinder any possible connection that could benefit you in the future.
Many students rely on letters of recommendation from professors to apply to jobs, internships and further education. Tardiness can be a limiting factor in one’s ability to get positive letters of recommendation from professors.
It should be noted that tardiness is not black-and-white. Not all students who arrive late to class have control over their arrival time. Many students face financial and logistical barriers when commuting to school. For some students, chronic lateness and absences are symptoms of their situation and can be significant barriers to academic success. Thus, the privilege of attending class and having the means to arrive on time should not be taken for granted.
Research shows that arriving at class early improves focus and preparedness while reducing stress and the chances of burnout. I like to get to class early so I can check Canvas, play my New York Times games and prepare any files I’ll need. Additionally, it’s always nice to get to know your professors in the few minutes before class. It’s an easy way to set yourself apart.
Arriving early increases the chances that you will actually pay attention. I am not naive. I know many of us are constantly multitasking on our laptops during class. We look at assignments for other classes, scroll through LinkedIn and shop online when we should be paying attention. Yet, when we take a few minutes to get settled before class, we have better learning outcomes as we don’t miss any pre-class instructions or details.
Being engaged throughout a full class can feel impossible with so many distractions. Being on time or early is a good practice, but it cannot solve the problem of disengaged students. Professors need to put effort into making classes engaging and interactive to keep students’ attention.
Given the abundance of current educational technology, professors should not lecture without visuals, slides or any student engagement for the entirety of a class. In an age of disengagement and endless online content, students must work to stay focused in class, and professors need to work to captivate students’ attention. Being on time to class is one of the easiest steps students can take in improving educational outcomes and relationships with professors.
Addie DiPaolo is a senior in the School of Public Affairs and a columnist for The Eagle.
This article was edited by Quinn Volpe, Alana Parker and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Emma Brown, Arin Burrell, Paige Caron and Andrew Kummeth. Fact-checking done by Aidan Crowe.
