A college student has vented their frustration online after their instructor marked them late for their class, despite arriving with two minutes to spare—and then refused to give them full credit.
The student and original poster (OP), user Accomplished-Log-664, claimed on Reddit that they walked into their Psychology class at 7:58 a.m. for the scheduled 8 a.m. start but discovered they had already been recorded as absent.
“I argued with him for 15 minutes after class because I was there before the start time of class,” the OP wrote. “He changed it too late and will not give me full credit for it.”
That refusal will lead to serious consequences for the OP.
According to the OP, the psychology course counts attendance for 50 percent of the overall grade, with assignments making up 15 percent and exams 35 percent.
They also pointed out that the class meets only once per week, meaning each attendance entry carries considerable weight.
The OP explained that a road closure had delayed their usual arrival time as a movie production was filming on the only road leading to the building, creating traffic that held them for about 20 to 25 minutes.
The school was supposed to send a 6 a.m. email warning about the closure, but the OP claims that message never went out.
After the dispute, the OP contacted their academic adviser, who arranged a meeting with the department head later that day.
In an update shared in the thread, they said their attendance record was eventually corrected, and administrators planned to meet with the professor to discuss the issue.
“I am not the first nor the only person to complain about this guy this semester, and he has apparently been doing this to a lot of people,” the OP wrote.
Reddit Reacts
Reddit users flocked to the comments to weigh in, with one recalling, “I was in one of those universities where you needed a minimum of 75% attendance to be eligible to take the exams.
“Some professors used that as a way to make our lives hell for similar reasons. Like they’d mark you absent and simply wouldn’t listen when you tried to reason with them.”
Another simply added, “Time to escalate, OP.”
University Attendance Rules
Attendance rules vary widely across universities, and instructors often have broad discretion when setting policies.
According to CollegeXpress, educational consultant Michael Milone wrote that students should think carefully about scheduling and punctuality.
“If you make it a habit to be late for this lab or this teacher, you will get yourself in a bind,” he warned. “Your grade will probably be lower, and if the teacher is rigorous about grading, you might not pass the class.”
‘Don’t even think’
Guidance about dealing with strict professors also stresses punctuality, with Nicole Chiang writing in Candy Magazine, “Be punctual. Be it coming to class or submitting a requirement, don’t even think about being late.”
For the OP post, the dispute may not be over yet. The update said administrators planned to meet with the professor the following day while the school heads into spring break.
With 27 students enrolled in the class and attendance making up half the grade, the outcome of the discussion could affect more than one student’s standing in the course.
Newsweek has reached out to Accomplished-Log-664 for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
About the Author
Discover more from USA NEWS
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
