Grad students - would you skip class?

Bride2bMO · April 2009

I'm torn and need some objective opinion. I'm a little irritated because a good friend I haven't seen in two years recently asked which days are best for me to hang out because she will be coming through town one day only. I told her the absolute only day of the week that's not great is Wednesday because I have a 3 hour night class. So of course that's the day she's coming. Confused

She'll get here around 2pm, and we have to go drop her rental car off, and I normally leave for class at 6:15, so if she's not running late we'd have 4-ish hours to hang out, plus she's spending the night and I'm taking her to the airport early in the morning.

I've missed once this semester for a vacation, and was determined not to miss any more. I even attended on my son's 1st birthday. If I didn't go I'd probably call in "sick," which makes me feel bad. The real reason doesn't seem important enough to miss.

I'm a brown-noser and this professor's opinion is extremely important to me. I'm hoping he'll be my thesis advisor someday.

This sucks because I get the sense that some people don't consider class a serious thing. Like I'd never just show up in my friend's town and say "hey, I'll only be there Wednesday morning, you don't mind to blow off work, do you?"

Anyway, would you skip? I do love this friend (even if I sound annoyed) and I don't want to miss an opportunity to hang out with her, but at the same time if she valued time with me she could certainly have booked a different day, or even come up a day sooner (she's just hanging out in our old hometown all week before flying out of my city to return home). So there are little compromises she could've made to hang out longer but didn't...why should it be on me to compromise the one serious thing I have going on in my life outside of motherhood?

franciscaz · April 2009

I was in grad school when I was pregnant. Man those classes were intense Tongue Tied

(one was economics and we were doing some really crazy advanced stuff) I couldn't miss a day! But if you can miss it and it won't hurt you I say ditch... but I couldn't...

jesnbrent · April 2009

I would not miss a grad 3 hour class. No way.

Sorry to your friend, but it is kinda rude (of the friend to expect that), this is not something you can fool around with (your higher education).

mlc92404 · April 2009

Is there a chance she misunderstood you and thought you said Wednesday was the only GOOD day?

SarahBukisi · April 2009

when things like that happend when i was in grad school, i would go... but there was also a chance that I might leave durning the break and i would tell my prof that i had to leave early. you can stay the whole time, leave early... and you can stay up ALL night long chatting too.

cmh06 · April 2009

I'm in grad school now and I would not miss class. I would tell your friend you're sorry, but you this class is too important and you don't want to miss anything. Plus it's getting close to the end of the semester and they may be going over some really important things.

JDB3358 · April 2009

I'm also in grad school and am blessed enough to take most of my courses online. That being said, my online courses are really hard, so I cannot imagine missing a 3 hour course and having to catch up from the material missed. I wouldn't skip class, and I personally think it's rude for your friend to ask.

Bride2bMO · April 2009

I'm so pleased to see these replies! I left to run an errand and thought I was going to find a bunch of "wow, you're uptight, go hang out with your friend!" type of replies.

Yay, I'm not a total dork for placing such a priority on school. Or if that does make me a dork, I'm in good company.

Yep, I'm sure she knows which day I meant because she said "I know you have class that night, but can I come stay that night and can you take me to the airport the next day?"

Alright, I'm not going to feel guilty for going to class then. This is stuff is very important to me.

Thanks!

byrne15 · April 2009

i was pg for a semester in grad school and then gave birth while still full time in grad school. i never missed a grad class until i delivered ds and then i took off 2 weeks and went back.

i wouldnt miss class to hang out with a friend, however....if you decide to i dont think you are "doing the wrong thing" either...

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