April 4, 2003
Attendance Policies
I'm wearing Mike's sweat pants and a thrift shirt. My stomach is thinking about growling and my head feels like it is full of two much air. Good morning.
I could go back to bed, I suppose, but that would mean I'd have to fight the sounds of dogs barking, lawnmowers mowing, and screaming children (shouldn't they be in school? Who am I kidding, shouldn't I?). So I am awake, at least in some semblance of the word.
You know, there is a huge part of me that feels incredibly guilty for not going to class this morning. There is another part, the part that dominated at 6:20 a.m., who said fuck attendance policies. And, indeed, that is what should be done.
Honestly. I'm paying 6500 a year, out of my pocket and loans in my name, shouldn't I withold the prerogative of attending/not attending? Hell yes I should. Miami brags that they have such great attendance rates, like we all voluntarily drag ourselves out of bed when we absolutely do not feel like it. No, they enforce Hitler-esque attendance policies, which most of their professors follow blindly, painstakingly taking attendance each day. Granted, most times I don't mind going to class. Were it not for karaoke last night, I would have gone to class this morning. But truly, can I be expected to drive an hour to sit through 100 minutes of class, only to drive an hour back? Should I have to listen to one more excessively mundane and repetitive lecture in Asian Lit? I've gotten an A on every single thing in that class. Now I must ask you, at least considering today, why go?
A small part of me feels as though I am squandering my education. Another argues that college is not the be-all, end-all-of-the-world. I don't need a mark on a paper or a mid-term exam to rate my intelligence. I don't have to rely on that. I just need to graduate with knock-out grades so I can get a degree.
And I can do that without being in every single lecture.
So, now feeling superbly justified, I think I am going to eat an English muffin.
astera at 9:46 a.m.