What Are Some Reasons Behind Why UC Berkeley Students Skip Class?

Looking over at my phone screen, it displayed my 7:00am alarm. I hit the snooze button again and again for the next hour, until I missed my morning lecture entirely.

But why do UC Berkeley students skip class? Despite the competitive and demanding atmosphere on campus, many students regularly skip their lectures.

Students walking around UC Berkeley campus. Photo courtesy of Mark North.

The University of California, Berkeley is a top university which accepts students who are extremely motivated and leaders driven towards their goals. Students who admitted are typically dedicated to their work and committed to achieving academic success. So what changes when these students get to college?

I talked with fellow students to get some answers on this dilemma.

Annie Zuromski, a senior at Berkeley studying Conservation and Resource Studies, says that she “never skips class unless [she] is very ill.” She “likes learning” and really enjoys her upper division major courses, making her more likely to be present.

Nonetheless, not all students share the same stance.

Ethan Everitt, a senior majoring in English, says “If they don’t take attendance, I won't show up.”

When I asked him why, he answered, “I have a lot of responsibilities and stuff to do, and going to class never helped me get a better grade in it.”

One of his responsibilities, he said, is job hunting.

Students at Berkeley balance academics, work, and extracurriculars among other important obligations. Hannah L., a freshman studying Economics, says that besides the study workload, “you have life!”

She “wants to workout, get sleep, and get good food” and “because of the crazy workload [she] isn’t able to do all that.”

When I asked her if she skips classes because of the stress she said “I try not to skip, it happens mainly because I need sleep.”

Due to the intense environment full of academic pressure and an overwhelming amount of coursework, many students prioritize their own wellbeing over going to lecture. Whether it’s extra sleep or working out, it is a need for them. It is not about laziness, but to simply maintain their health.