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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think like people don’t attend uni for no reason

18 replies

MyHazelEagle · 18/02/2024 21:53

I have lots of people on my course that aren’t regularly there all different ages. One example is a person who has an hour commute no children and doesn’t work so I don’t understand why they wouldn’t come?

OP posts:
Original poster
MyHazelEagle · 18/02/2024 21:54

To think that people don’t attend uni for no reason

OP posts:
DodgeDog · 18/02/2024 21:55

Are they catching up with these lectures online?

mrsbyers · 18/02/2024 21:57

I think it’s due to the ability to download course content nowadays plus the financial cost of travel ?

ACynicalDad · 18/02/2024 22:11

If it is undergrad some people do it as they expect to do one and don't really think about it. Alternatively, maybe they are just doing enough to get the bit of paper.

guitarpluckingchicken · 18/02/2024 22:15

Ds had back to back lectures and couldn't get from one to the other in time. He likes online videos of the lecture as he can rewind if he doesn't understand something first time round. So he attends some in person and some online. An hour commute is 2 hours of your day. When I was at uni there was no choice but to attend an in person lecture, Ds has the choice plus some lectures had too many students and they couldn't accommodate everyone.

Icannoteven · 18/02/2024 22:26
  1. They might prefer to do the reading in their own time rather than go to lectures
  2. They may have to prioritise their paid job and drop the odd lecture to ensure they have enough money to stay in uni
  3. They might be ill regularly
  4. They might be caring for someone who is ill regularly 5)Perhaps they can’t afford transport and/or public transport has let them down
  5. They may have shit executive function skills and missed the lecture because they cannot keep track of dates/times/schedules/bus schedules.
  6. They may just have enrolled in uni to get their student loan or to get a visa and have no interest in studying (above doing enough that they don’t get kicked out of uni - which is a low bar at some places as they don’t want to lose the funding)
  7. They may not actually want to be at university (or at that particular university or on that particular course) for a myriad of reasons e.g don’t know what else to do, at a uni which is wrong for them but don’t have the confidence to change uni, parental pressure , uni being the easiest way to escape an unhappy home life).
  8. They may be in an abusive relationship where someone is trying to stop them attending.

These are all reasons I’ve pulled off the top of my head. Some of which were my own reasons for not attending when I was a student (chronic illness and mental health, not knowing what else to do, crap executive function, escaping an unhappy home life) and others are from students I have worked with (I work in HE). I’m sure there are many more.

LimeViewer · 18/02/2024 22:29

When I was a student I often missed Monday lectures as I went home to see bf and stayed! Or 9am lectures as hungover.

steff13 · 18/02/2024 22:30

Ask them.

Keroppi · 18/02/2024 22:34

Maybe you should spend more time on your uni work than taking attendance 🤣

mynameiscalypso · 18/02/2024 22:36

My two closest friends at university never went to lectures although they dragged themselves to tutorials. Didn't have an effect on their grades at all.

burnoutbabe · 18/02/2024 22:40

I made a choice to not attend the 1 day I had 4 lecture one day over 7-8 hours.

Was more productive to watch those all online the next day and use that day to study at home.

I just didn't study very well on campus. I did attend every single tutorial even when it was 1hr slot and commute was 60-90 mins.

But I was a mature student there to enjoy the study rather than make friends. And people chatting in lectures drove me mad! Then Covid hit mid way through second term

BobbyBiscuits · 19/02/2024 07:55

They might be a very independent learner and do a lot of study from home?
Maybe have MH issues, are ND, social anxiety and don't like large groups?
They hate the course, the tutors, the uni itself or the other students?
They have unreliable transport?
They are hung over, partying instead?
They have caring responsibilities?

Do you find it off-putting when there's less people? I wouldn't notice or care if someone chooses to barely turn up.

BrutusMcDogface · 19/02/2024 08:00

I do wonder why you care so much. As outlined above, there are hundreds of reasons.

interesting that you can now just watch lectures online, though. I think lots of younger/hungover students probably prefer that.

zzpleb · 19/02/2024 08:01

Some people just can't be bothered to attend all lectures and tutorials. It's always been the case - that's why universities introduced attendance monitoring.

Scarletttulips · 19/02/2024 08:02

Yep and if you fail the first year you have to pay back all you’ve borrowed - we get £££ towards fees and I’d be annoyed if DD didn’t attend.

burnoutbabe · 19/02/2024 08:11

zzpleb · 19/02/2024 08:01

Some people just can't be bothered to attend all lectures and tutorials. It's always been the case - that's why universities introduced attendance monitoring.

Our attendance monitoring was only tutorials (group of 15 of us) not lectures (300 or so)

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 19/02/2024 08:26

I'm a current student and do all my lectures as recordings online rather than attending the live session. I "attend" every single one, but the people in the live sessions would assume I don't go to any of them.

StrawberryShortcakeMummy · 19/02/2024 08:31

Health issues, other commitments, family problems, don't like the lecturer or someone in class.
Some lecturers make you feel bad if you fell behind so many they are struggling and dont want to be called on.

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