Many students in high school have the habit of skipping classes and I wonder why someone will come to school to acquire knowledge but end up avoiding classes but want to succeed one day. Research and data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that out of the four different stages of school (elementary. middle, high and others), high school is in the lead with more than 20 percent of students being absent in some of their classes and middle school has 14 percent of students absent. During class periods, you can find students promenading the hallways, hiding in the bathrooms, staying in wrong classes or even chit-chatting with friends in the stairway and it is quite confusing that most of these students know the consequence of their actions but still proceed to do it.

Skipping class in general is not a good option but sometimes you need a break from school work to relax the brain. At a point in time. students want to feel relief of the pressure of staying on task. Skipping class is their top option because most times, they are never caught or in trouble. I personally used to skip classes in middle school just because I do not like the course, teacher or class in general. I used to go into classes with subs and never got caught. It is better than being in the class and getting so irritated that you sometimes get out of character or do the unacceptable. 

On the other hand, skipping classes leads to so many consequences that may affect your life, career, future and reputation. Let’s think of this:  you are always skipping a math class and you are now concerned about your grade because it is almost the end of the marking period and if you do not pass you get an NX leading to summer school. You will need a lot of catching up and also there will be less help from teachers because they may feel it is not their duty to help a student with work he/she has already gone over with in class and since you were skipping, did not understand. Academic or grade wise, a lot of teachers actually count attendance and participation as a grade. A teacher like Daniel Butler, an English teacher at Bronx River High School, has a daily assignment dedicated to being in class on time, in uniform and doing or completing work and failing these assignments affects you because if you are not so good in the class and you fail, graduating on time will be a problem. Reputation wise, if you get suspended, it is not only going to affect your grade and attendance but it affects your discipline code. When suspension is one year or more, suspension is noted on a student’s transcript permanently and the disciplinary record is retained permanently.

In conclusion, skipping class has more negatives to it then positives. I advise students to try and stay in class and if you feel you are having troubles in the class, speak to the teacher or visit your counselor for guidance.