The title might be a little misleading. There are going to be times when you must attend class, e.g. Test day.
Believe it or not, there are a handful of students who show up to class only on the day of a test. Obviously, this can only be done if the Professor does not keep up with attendance. It also would be difficult to pull of if your teacher gave out a lot of homework and quizzes.
The Requirements
The art of passing a class while rarely attending is a difficult one. It sounds easy, but it actually takes a lot of self discipline. There are also some special requirements before you even consider using this tactic.
- The class must have no quizzes or homework.
- The only grades must be Test, Midterms, and Finals (maybe the occasional quiz too).
- There has go to be no attendance rules.
- Class notes must be available online.
The Plan
Go the First Day
This is possibly the most important part of the plan because the first day is when you get a feel for the class. This is when you get your syllabus and can begin to figure out what the class calendar looks like. You can also see the course policies like attendance and if the Professor administers quizzes and homework.
Get Some Contact Info
Not just from the Professor, but from a couple other students as well. This is essential in case you have any questions like, if a test date has changed. Since you won’t be attending class very often, you must have a couple people you can count on if you occasionally need an answer.
Mark the Dates
Be sure to put all of the test and exam dates into your calendar. These dates could easily slip your mind, since you won’t be in class much. If you use a calendar like iCal, be sure to set yourself reminders throughout the semester of important dates. Also, Realize that dates can change, so email a classmate to make sure.
Study
Those notes the Professor posts online…look over them a lot on your own time. At least go over the notes once a week. It is especially important to study a lot right before the test. Personally, the Pomodoro Technique works very well for me.
Show Up For Tests
This one is pretty obvious, but I’m including it anyway. Be certain to show up on the test day 100% prepared, and be 100% sure that it is indeed test day.
Be Careful
This plan is not for everyone. It is very risky, and we only recommend it to students who are self motivated. It is also important to “test the water”. By this we mean you should try this method for the first test, and if you make a bad grade, you should probably start going to the class.
Good Luck!
What About You?
Have you had any success only showing up on test days? Or, Do you just think this is a terrible idea?