How the 100% Attendance Policy in Colleges Kills Student Creativity and Passion

The attendance policy in colleges which is often portrayed to be good intentional for students are destroying students passion for learning or creating their career from new skills like content writing, content creation , web designing etc. Sometimes I feel that my college will not be able teach these skills that have become trending
these days because they are not included in our regular syllabus .

Where Attendance Policy in Colleges Goes Wrong: My Point of View

Instead of treating us to be responsible people, creating ceo’s etc. they have turned us to be complete seat fillers. Sitting from 9am to 6 pm on 1 bench continuously attending lectures makes me feel complete exhausted.
Students become physically present and mentally absent just for the sake of marking ‘P’ in the register.

What happens next? We stop exploring beyond classrooms interactive sessions , creative projects, and most importantly where is the real world experience that can teach so much beyond books and the regular curriculum. You all wont believe but actually the practical experience, hands on training. Can actually fuel our passion for achieving great heights. However, the strict Attendance Policy in Colleges often becomes a barrier, forcing students to remain seated in lectures instead of engaging in such impactful learning. For students like me the classroom becomes a cage not a space where in I could get some inspiration. Students who r most passionate and self driven suffer the most in these rigid rules.

They must understand that real learning comes from a perfect exposure and not just a perfect attendance. It is about active engagement which can happen in many ways apart from normal curriculum. Arts and Crafts Drawing, painting, making things, working with clay, telling stories Helps with fine motor skills, creativity, and
expressing feelings. School clubs or art workshops can be a fun way to express yourself. Science experiments and do-it-yourself projects Easy experiments at home or in the classroom, like making a volcano model or a lemon battery.

Promotes curiosity, observation, and finding solutions. For this, science fairs and tinkering labs where you can do things yourself are great. However, the rigid Attendance Policy in Colleges often limits students access to such hands-on experiences, keeping them confined to classrooms instead of allowing them to explore, experiment, and innovate. Role play and Drama Plays, skits, and fake interviews and debates at school. Boosts self-esteem, communication, and understanding of others. When you role-play historical figures or jobs, you make learning more fun. Reading for Fun Reading on your own (not just textbooks!) helps you learn new words and use your imagination. Reading challenges, libraries, and book clubs can get people interested in reading for life.

Gardening and going for walks in nature Caring for plants, watching birds and bugs, and learning about the environment. It teaches kids to be responsible, patient, and aware of the environment. STEM Kits, Coding, and
Robotics platforms such as coding games, Scratch, Arduino, and LEGO Robotics. develops creativity, tech fluency, and reasoning early on. Brain games and puzzles Word puzzles, logic riddles, chess, Sudoku, and Rubik’s Cube. improves focus, strategy, and thinking in an enjoyable way. Unfortunately, the rigid Attendance Policy in Colleges often leaves no room for students to engage in such enriching, hands-on activities, limiting their growth to theoretical knowledge rather than holistic development.

Group Projects and Peer Learning buddy systems, small-group conversations, or cooperative assignments. Encourages teamwork, leadership, and learning from peers. Reflective writing and journaling encouraging children to write ideas, diaries, or lists of gratitude. Enhances writing abilities, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness. Educational Games and Apps Resources such as Kahoot!, Byju’s, Minecraft Education, Duolingo, and
others. Makes education more interactive, tech-friendly, and personalized. Yet, the rigid Attendance Policy in Colleges often sidelines these valuable learning methods, as students are forced to prioritize mere classroom presence over active, diversified engagement that truly nurtures skill development.

Public Speaking and storytelling, elocution, quizzes, etc. enhances critical thinking, bravery, and stage presence. Integrated Theme Days with games, costume changes, and small projects include “Space Day,” “Health Week,”
and “Water Festival.” Blends fun with learning and memory-making. So by these techniques we can actively engage students in various Activities. However, the rigid Attendance Policy in Colleges often leaves little to no space for such creative and confidence-building activities, reducing opportunities for students to engage meaningfully beyond the academic routine.

Now lets talk about our mental health

First of all we are humans and not machines. There are times where we fall sick, are tired etc so we need break. But due to fear driven by the Attendance Policy in Colleges, some students still force themselves to attend classes despite not being mentally or physically well. This not only leads to burnout and resentment, but also negatively impacts overall well-being. A healthy mind is more important than a tick mark on attendance sheet.

At the end Attendance Policy in Colleges should not be forceful. It should be a flexible and supportive tool that promotes student growth.

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