How to force yourself to go to class (realistic tips)
About the author
Hi there. I am the prolific professor with 15 years of experience teaching online and in-person. I have a graduate degree. I have a passion for education. But I’ve also worked in the professional world (outside of education) too. Thanks for visiting.
9 stupid simple ways to motivate yourself to go to class
Are you having trouble finding the motivation to go to class?
As a professor, I see this so often.
And I can see that people are hurting themselves by not attending class. But they are just out of reach.
I am going to give you some awesome tips to make yourself get out of bed and get to class.
Do you keep missing college classes?
If you keep missing college classes, there are ways that you can motivate yourself to attend. I have some excellent REALISTIC TIPS to help you get to class on time.
Look, I get it. It can be hard to force yourself to go to your college classes.
Classes can be boring.
And you might think you aren’t going to learn anything of value.
Some students might rationalize missing class because they think they already know the subject and don’t need to be taught the information.
Others just might be busy with other things that they enjoy more than going to class.
Maybe it’s sleeping, playing video games, or relaxing with friends.
Other activities will seem more interesting than class so you might just gravitate to those things instead.
Is it okay to miss college classes?
As a former professor, I do not think it is okay to REGULARLY miss college classes but an occasional absence is usually acceptable because students have personal lives and things do come up.
This is important to discuss because while you may have some very valid reasons to skip class, you should go anyway.
You show respect to your professor when you attend class.
As a professor, I put lots of energy into each class.
I try and make lectures interactive and engaging.
And when students don’t show up, it can be saddening.
Show your professor that you respect their time and attend their classes.
Another reason you should attend class is because you are paying for the class.
It’s your money that you’re throwing away by not attending.
Let’s assume that you are paying the average tuition for a credit hour. And let’s also assume that you are attending a 16-week course. Let’s say the class meets twice a week. That’s 32 classes a term. It’s probably fewer class days because of holidays but I will play it safe here.
You’re tossing away roughly $29.00 for EVERY SINGLE CLASS you miss!
Theoretically that is.
That’s a sobering thought, isn’t it?
So remember, you’re paying for it. Or someone else is, at least. Make it worth it.
Even beyond money, it is important to attend class so that you can grow as an individual.
You might not need the material for later, but you are learning skills that can help you in the future.
You’re learning time management, critical thinking, presentation skills, etc. The list goes on. So by forcing yourself to attend class, you can enhance these qualities.
Lastly, you should go to class to make a positive impression because you never know when you might need them to write you a letter of support.
When they see your perfect attendance record, you’ll be among the few that received that distinction.
And they’ll be more likely to notice you.
How many college classes can you miss?
The number of classes a college student can miss depends entirely on their professor’s policies because technically students could skip nearly every lecture and still earn a grade. But their professor’s policies will outline their attendance requirements.
Let’s start by talking about your professor’s policies.
Your professor may only allow a certain number of absences in the course before they start deducting points from your attendance grade. Or your professor or college might have a policy that says you can only miss up to 25% of the semester before you fail the course automatically. These policies vary so check the syllabus and your student handbook.
Another things that regulates the number of classes a college student can miss is the length of the semester and class. If your semester is shorter than typical, or your class only meets once a week, you need to try and attend every class.
Because when you miss one class, you are missing a lot of lecture material. But if you meet three times a week for 50 minutes, then you could miss a class here and there and probably not be too severely impacted.
There isn’t a particular number of classes that a student can miss unless it’s outlined in the student handbook or your professor’s syllabus. But the more classes you miss, the harder it will be to do well in the course.
But missing class can have significant repercussions so I don’t recommend it.
What happens if you don’t go to class
If a college student does not go to their class, they will miss important information that could result in bad grades or they might fail the course because they missed too many lectures.
You miss out on important information that could help you get good grades.
Or help you in your career later.
You may think you can teach yourself the information, but that’s what professors are there to do.
So, you might get bad grades, and fail the course.
Or fail to learn anything from that course and hurt yourself later in your career.
And you never know when your professor is noticing your attendance, which could ruin your chances of impressing them for a letter of recommendation later.
How to get motivated to attend class
If a student wants to motivate themselves to attend class, they should find ways to reward themselves once they attend so many lectures. Or they can enroll in an online course instead.
You came here to find out how to stop missing college classes and I have my BEST tips below.
1.) Plan your schedule
Get a planner, and write down all your class times, and any other important tasks.
This gives you some focus and a clear schedule.
You’ll avoid placing more than one thing on your calendar and designate time for class.
Sometimes students might want to skip class to make room for something else, and this way you know that you have blocked off your schedule for class time.
Don’t schedule anything around your classes that will interfere with you attending.
And as a college student, I even set event reminders on my phone so that I knew when I should be leaving for class.
The better organized you are, the easier it will be for you to make it to class.
2.) Find professors who require attendance
You’re probably wondering why I am suggesting this.
Well, it’s because I know from my experience that students are more likely to attend class when I require attendance for a grade rather than make it voluntary.
Seriously, I have seen attendance rates plummet when it’s up to students to come to class without any consequences.
So, focus on finding professors who require attendance before you register for their course.
It will give you that extra boost you need to get to class and be on time. Check with your college to find out where you can view all the past syllabi. Some states have mandated laws that require syllabi to be public. While others don’t.
PRO TIP : Before your next class registration, look over the past syllabi of professors to see which ones required attendance in their grading scale.
While this could change, each term, it’s a way to narrow down professors who take attendance seriously.
Maybe the only way you’ll end up going regularly is for there to be a penalty against you for not attending.
3.) Get reliable transportation
If you dread going to class because your car always has issues, or you must wait on someone to pick you up, it might be time to get something more reliable.
This might mean that you are having to find public transportation or resort to a ride-share service.
Not everyone will have access to these resources but it’s worth a try to find out if this is available in your area.
If you need to get a new vehicle, think about that as an option too.
I know that money could play a factor here, but try and brainstorm ways for you find reliable transportation.
Maybe you could even try to live closer to campus so you could walk or take a bicycle to class instead.
If you don’t know if you should stay on campus in a dorm or just commute, you should re-think it since it might impact your motivation to attend class.
4.) Stop making excuses
Sometimes you may find yourself making excuses for why you shouldn’t go to class.
Maybe you say something like, “nothing important is being taught today” or “I can just get the notes from a friend.”
Hold yourself accountable instead.
Tell your friends and family that you are having trouble going to class and want some friendly reminders.
They could call you and check in and find out if you are attending classes.
This can help keep you accountable for your actions.
It’s a great way to get some motivation to finally start attending class regularly.
5.) Take a seminar
Look, even as a professional, I want to avoid things sometimes too.
It happens to the best of us.
But is there a seminar or training you could complete to get on the right track?
I know that the college where I teach has a department that provides free seminars to students, and some of these seminars focus on these topics.
Check with your college and see if they offer anything like this.
You never know when you could learn some great tips and strategies in these seminars that could help you get motivated to attend class.
6.) Pretend something special is happening
In your mind, try and pretend that your professor is going to give extra credit to all the students today and if you don’t go, you’ll miss the opportunity.
I do this for my students occasionally.
But I only award the extra credit to students who attended class that day.
It might not happen, but at least it can motivate you to go to class.
7.) Find friends
Do you have any friends in your classes?
If you don’t, it might be time to make some friends.
This could make classes more enjoyable and give you a reason to go.
I also find that having friends in college classes might help hold you more accountable when you miss.
You might be worried that you’ll disappoint your friends if you don’t regularly attend classes.
Or they will text you and find out why you’re even skipping class to begin with.
To find friends in your field, think about joining a student organization.
8.) Give yourself a treat
This makes us sound like children here, but seriously, it works.
Tell yourself that you will get to reward yourself if you attend classes all week.
If you go to every class, go ahead, and get that special drink at Starbucks, or go out to dinner.
Whatever you can do for yourself to help you get to class, do it.
And since you might be a visual person like myself, get a reward chart and some stickers, and place it on your fridge.
Every day you attend class, place a sticker on the chart.
Then reward yourself whenever you attend classes as scheduled.
9.) Put sticky notes everywhere
This one may alarm your roommates, but get some sticky notes, and write reminders for yourself to get to class.
Put them everywhere in your apartment/dorm/house.
Place one on your bathroom mirror, one on the fridge, and a few on the doors.
Everywhere you go, you will be reminded that you should attend classes regularly.
At least it will be on your mind, and you can find ways to gently remind yourself that it’s important.
And go even further and put some motivating quotes on there too.
Key Takeaways
As a college student, you’re bound to find it difficult to drag yourself out of the house and make it to every class.
But with these 9 simple tips to help get you motivated to attend class, you’ll be rising to the top in no time.
The most important thing to remember is that it’s okay to feel unmotivated sometimes, but you need to find ways to help you get to class.
You don’t want to fall behind.
If you haven’t been attending class, email your professor about your attendance. And brainstorm ways to find a solution to get back on track.
And lastly, if you can’t find ways to force yourself to go to class, maybe you should consider an online curriculum instead.
And remember, you got this.
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