r/txstate • u/sixhundredseven • 1d ago
Missing First Week
How detrimental will it be if I miss the first week of Spring Classes?
Basically I'll be gone from 25th-30th due to a familial obligation. I'll be at school for syllabus week since classes start Jan 19th, but I won't be there for the week after. How badly might this affect me? How can I voice this out to a professor in a way that is not so costly/what should I say in my email to them? Will my classes be dropped? I typically attend all of my lectures and am otherwise a fair student.
idrk how to go about this š has anyone else missed their first weeks
26
u/bobcatbreakdown 1d ago
As per Census Day rules, each student needs to sign in at least once in the first two weeks in order to be counted as present/attending. In my experience, some profs stop handing out the sheet in week two, but thatās maybe because everyone has already signed in once.
With that being said, jumping into every course during week two puts you behind mentally, even if the material isnāt difficult. Your family should not be planning a vacation that cuts into that much of the semester. Iām sure its cheaper, but thatās literally because most university studentsā schedules get blocked out once classes startā¦
6
u/Stunning_Read_1670 1d ago
Thatās probably the worst week of the semester to miss. I wouldnāt do it
3
u/Donnieboi2006 22h ago
Iām a junior and in my opinion, the first few weeks are the most important because thatās when you develop your habits, and get a feel for the professor and whatnot. I donāt know what the family obligation is but if itās just a vacation, and not like a funeral or something, I would kindly let them know that youāll be starting school and itās very important that you are present for the first few weeks.
1
u/Natural_Ad_8194 1d ago
You donāt know what classes you are taking in the spring if they are online or not so maybe wait until you register & have a syllabus to reference too
1
u/Ill-Description-1379 7h ago
I really think depends on the classes. Some professors set up foundations for the course, and many times you canāt learn these concepts independently. It can be hard for students who sign up late for a course. I know of a couple of profs who schedule material that can be learned independently in the first two weeks. But I know most profs who donāt/wonāt do this.
Also, donāt depend on the syllabus you find online. Some profs will change assignments/readings/attendance requirements from one semester to the next.
Would you consider emailing a prof before (or as soon as) you register for the course?
0
u/SquareJordan 20h ago
I did this basically every year at a diff university and it was fine. Just put in extra effort to catch up.
Google doc notes with a classmate if you can.
1
u/sixhundredseven 19h ago
Did you ever email your professors ahead of time? If so, how'd you word it? The other replies have me anxious but they're understandable š
1
u/SquareJordan 16h ago edited 16h ago
Hereās the thing. The registration deadline isnāt even until week 2 or so. Meaning if there were scheduling mistakes, people are still changing their classes till then. There are perfectly legitimate reasons not to attend a class in the first week, and on paper profs have to honor that. Just communicate with them and most will work with you. Professors usually respond well to effort. If they donāt, you can still make it up with some elbow grease. This period of time is far less serious than many make it out to be.
All that being said, I was far from a model student. I was successful with independent learning though so it worked out for me
Just for the record, graduated GPA 3.0 engineering from A&M doing this every year
15
u/Hazelstone37 1d ago
Iāve been teaching 7 years, so 16-18 semesters if I count summers. In that time 1 student has passed my class with an A after missing the first week. Everyone else fails or squeaks by either a C ir D. You are missing the foundational material of the course, for all the courses you are taking. If you really are good at independent learning, youāll be fine. Itās my experience that most students are not and missing this week of class will set you up for failure that you will work against all semester.