The holiday season is a time for fun and friends, which can lead students to ditch classes in favor of off-campus festivities.

Think twice before skipping classes this season. Although this is a busy time of year, getting behind on classwork will only pile on the stress.

But baking cookies or going snowboarding might seem a lot more exciting than listening to a professor lecture for an hour.

Encourage professors to ramp up the excitement of their classes this semester. By offering incentives like replacing a lecture with a collaborative game that includes prizes, professors will motivate students to come to class.

Professors spend double the time preparing for lectures as they do actually lecturing. They shouldn’t have to offer students extra-credit points for attendance.

But extra credit isn’t the only thing that will motivate students to learn during the holidays. Professors can try more interactive ways to teach lessons, so that students will be more inclined to show up.

For example: They can organize more group activities, so that students depend on each other’s attendance to be successful. This could also help them make new friends and become more invested in the class content.

Professors choose to teach for a living because the subjects they’re experts in are their passions in life. They are gifting students with knowledge and preparing them for the real world, so students should return the favor by giving teachers the present of their presence.

Powering through the holiday hibernation and showing up to class isn’t just worth the professor’s time, but also yours. Research proves that students who miss two days of school per month see negative effects on their academic performance.

Research also suggests that skipping class is something college students can become addicted to, which creates an unhealthy pattern of behavior moving forward in life.

Although community college is more affordable than four-year schools, students shouldn’t skip class just because they are hung- over or not in the mood to work. This will cost them when they transfer.

According to USA Today, skipping class could cost students at four-year universities upward of $24,960 over the course of their college careers, because financial aid eligibility depends, in part, on class attendance.

This holiday season, Riverhawks should give their paying parents and dedicated professors the gift of attending class. If you pay for school yourself, absence is like throwing money in the trash.

The college supports students with financial aid, but they must show up to class in order to receive an affordable education.

Attending college is a privilege that many people wish they had, so let’s treat it like one this December, and every month after that. Riverhawks must sit in class so they can learn how to fly.