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[galactic_hedgehog]

My first semester in grad school, my advisor knocked on my door one afternoon and started off with "You are an adult and, as such, you can make your own decisions as to what to do with your time," and then preceded to let me know why it was bad that I had missed his class earlier that day.  My reaction?  A look of utter confusion.  For some bizarre reason, the school had scheduled MWF classes on a Thursday for that day only and I never knew about it.  "So you missed class X also today?" he asked.  Yep.  "Oh, well, that explains it.  Carry on."

[alwaysanon]

I missed a grad class once to present at an international conference, and once when I had such a bad case of the flu that I was literally hallucinating. Both of these were forgiven, and rightly so, but with warnings not to miss any more.

Don't miss class in your grad program.

[post_doc4now]

I hardly ever missed class in grad school unless I was at a conference or really sick.

The classes were all seminar style, the faculty knew your name and if you missed a lot (especially if they saw you in the office/hallway later that day) or if you were late a lot, comments showed up in your end of the year evaluation.  That was never good.

[dr_coffee]

I missed classes 3 times:

1.  Gave birth - C-section and in hospital
2.  Mother died - at funeral
3.  Threw up in bathroom during class after eating something horrid.  Was sent home by professor.

Don't do it.  Go unprepared, don't pretend you read it, but don't admit you didn't.  If you don't know the answer, simply come up with "I must have missed that point"  or the "Bushism" "I don't recall - let me check my notes..." or my favorite - "I was actually confused on that point and have a note here to ask a question about that issue..."  Skim like crazy, and learn how to get by. Coping with this situation is actually a skill you need to acquire. 

[mended_drum]

I missed class once when the power went down on the subway I was riding to school.  When I finally got there (15 minutes after class had ended), my professor had called my apartment to make sure something terrible hadn't happened to me, and my roommate was therefore very upset.  I did not miss class again.

[patchouli]

I missed class (not skipped because I was having some sort of fun) due to illnesses or massive work/study a few times in grad school.  It did not hurt my grades and I was not approached by my professors "asking" me where I was.

[dr_prephd]

Here's a question / observation / whatever that I have about skipping:

My cohort has classes all together, all seminar. Very small. One of the members has missed, oh, I don't know, 7 times in the last semester (and these are once-a-week classes). When she does come, and we get into a class discussion, she has all sorts of "well, in my life" stories that don't relate to the reading at all. She's obviously trying to grub for participation points. She has one refrain that she mutters over and over. When we have online discussions on blackboard, she doesn't post. When we chat in the hallway she doesn't stop to say hi. She leaves several times during class with her cell phone for minutes at a time. She's obviously either too busy, too involved in something else, or too clueless to realize how her behavior seems.

She can't invest the time in the discussions? The rest of us have pretty much decided that she's outta here within the next semester. Just a word of caution, I guess... skipping even pisses off fellow classmates who DO put in the time to do what's necessary.

[acrimone]

She can't invest the time in the discussions? The rest of us have pretty much decided that she's outta here within the next semester. Just a word of caution, I guess... skipping even pisses off fellow classmates who DO put in the time to do what's necessary.

Bah... it shouldn't piss you off unless she's getting the same outcomes with her little effort.

[dr_prephd]

She can't invest the time in the discussions? The rest of us have pretty much decided that she's outta here within the next semester. Just a word of caution, I guess... skipping even pisses off fellow classmates who DO put in the time to do what's necessary.

Bah... it shouldn't piss you off unless she's getting the same outcomes with her little effort.

Well, yes, okay, "pissed off" is a litte strong, I guess. But it is rather annoying to have her off-topic disruptions when the rest of us really want to be there.

[sleepdeprived]

My first year of grad school I caught some terrible bug, but came to class anyway.  The bug then proceeded to go through the seminar room, week after week another person would be afflicted.  Four or five others had it in quick succession, including the professor.  No one ever missed though, and it was a little funny to see who was going to show up looking like death that week.

[dr_crankypants]

I have a different perspective on this than almost everyone who's posted; I assume it's program-specific.

I do skip classes sometimes. Certainly not often. And never seminars (other than for genuine illness, of course). But larger, lecture-style classes? Sure, if I need to. I make judgments about how to spend my time. And I *don't* think my professors are having coffee and discussing it afterward!

In the most extreme case, I missed nearly a full week of classes to work on a grant/fellowship application. I got it, and it was so very worth it...

I hope, for your sake, that this is program specific.  That would certainly piss me off, and while I wouldn't bother talking about it with other professors (and I might never even say anything to you), it would certainly negatively affect my judgment of you.  I'll take illness as an excuse, but skipping for a week for a grant would make me doubt your ability to balance your responsibilities. 

[pamplemoose]

As a chronic class-skipper as an undergrad, this thread has been *very* instructive.

I remember in college, trying to get to a seminar where you were docked half a letter grade for each absence.  On more than one occasion, I walked outside and literally shaking (which happens when it's 20 degrees outside and you're 102).  My prof. had absolutely no pity.  Worse, his policy on absences was not laid out in the syllabus nor was it otherwise announced.  I got a C in the class, although my written work probably earned a B+.  I was pissed.  I did, however, learn a very important lesson. 

I am kind of sickly and get bronchitis or pneumonia every other year.  Maybe this is the strongest argument for going to school in California.

[eriro]

I think policies are program specific.  In my department, research is revered above all else.  Students routinely miss several classes a semester if they are doing field-work.  Of course, in that case, the student talks to the professor before-hand to clear the absence and provide an explanation.  If you're not prepared, bs as much as possible or try to keep a low profile.  In most of the courses I've had, you learn much more from being present in class than from the readings, although I liked the comment on laziness that suggested it's much better to just do the readings in advance than try to catch up later.  Good advice. 

Btw, who is in law school?  I am currently applying after deciding that a PhD was not going to get me into the type of work I want to do.

[acrimone]

“Yeah yeah, did the Oracle send you here with the money?  She didn’t?  Where’s my money?  I’m a legitimate business operation, not a charity…. Ah well.  I suppose I’m supposed to tell you two things.  Here they are.”

“Look at what you’ve got.  Who said it?  Now pardon me, I have a sale on.  Everything else has to go.”

“Oh wait… I’m supposed to tell you two things.  That’s right.  Well, let’s see here.”

“Your cipher is famous, and on display.  At the end of that page is someone who’s cruel.  But he’s also the the new first part of the cipher.”

“Now whatever you’re going to do, if you don’t have the Oracle’s money for me, then maybe you need to get some advice from your students.  I hear that students and the stock market mix well, and Wilson20 agrees with me.”