Last Friday I received my first guest since I took the
role of Faculty mentor this semester. The student raised a very
interesting question: Why should students attend lectures? After all,
most of the textbook writers are more knowledgeable, if not smarter,
than most of the instructors in the certain subject. If the contents
covered in the lectures are also covered by the textbook, what is the
point of sitting there listening to somebody bragging? To make the story
short, I made a final suggestion to the visitor: If you felt the lectures are not challenging enough, challenge the instructor! If you don't want to challenge or be challenged, you won't learn.
Remember: A professor is there to stir you, not to please you.