DeKALB – In the halls of NIU, there are many posters on the wall, and one in particular tells students one thing: don’t skip class.

The “Don’t Skip Class” campaign aims to encourage students to attend their classes.

“It’s no secret, you may not always want to go to class,” according to the Division of Academic Affairs website. “You may have required classes that you find difficult or don’t enjoy, or you may feel overwhelmed by other commitments or feel tired if they have early morning classes. However, even if instructors allow a certain number of unexcused absences, you should aim to attend every class session.”

For many students, there are various reasons to skip class, including having other responsibilities.

Abbi Morris, a senior illustration major, said it can be difficult to attend classes when you have other responsibilities.

“I guess the only thing that makes it hard to attend class, at least in my case, is when I have other stuff that is a priority,” Morris said. “I’m an illustration student, so say I have a project that’s due next week, and I really need to prioritize that instead of, say, my gen-ed class. But I think that might be the hardest thing that certain students have.”

In the class attendance page, the Division of Academic Affairs website listed some ways that students can plan ahead if they need to miss a class. These tips are to plan in advance, talk to fellow students and do the reading assignments.

Rosemary Nelson, a senior marketing major, said she has a way to make sure that she attends class.

“I always like to plan ahead the night before,” Nelson said. “I always think about what my day is going to be like, and think, OK, I have to wake up at this time to get to this place, and make a routine around that, whether that’s getting coffee beforehand or planning where I’m going to park. It’s a great all-encompassing routine.”

Andrea Guzman, an associate professor in journalism, talked about how students can work with their teacher to get back on track if they skip class.

“I would say the temptation is real,” Guzman said. “We sometimes have a lot going on and it seems stressful, and particularly when students have been missing multiple classes, then they start to feel, is it even worth it? Can I catch up? To students who’ve been skipping class, the best thing to do is to realize, to look at that syllabus, to understand, maybe what you’ve missed, and to then go and meet with the professor.”

To learn more about skipping class and how to avoid it, you can go to the Division of Academics website.