What is what does it mean to audit a class?
Auditing a class means attending the lectures and other classroom activities without receiving academic credit. You're essentially sitting in on the class to learn the material for your own personal enrichment, without being graded or required to complete assignments.
Here's a breakdown of what that typically involves:
- Attendance: You can attend lectures and sometimes labs or discussion sections, depending on the instructor's policies. However, your attendance might not be officially tracked.
- No Credit: You will not receive a grade, transcript notation, or any academic credit for the course.
- Minimal Requirements: You are generally not required to complete assignments, take tests, or participate in class discussions. However, some instructors might encourage participation or even allow auditors to complete assignments for self-assessment, at their discretion.
- Permission Required: Auditing a class typically requires the instructor's permission. You might need to formally register as an auditor through the university or college, which could involve paying a fee.
- Motivation: People audit classes for a variety of reasons, such as exploring a new subject, refreshing their knowledge in a particular area, or simply learning for personal enjoyment.
- Limited Access: Auditors usually don't have access to all student resources, such as online course materials, tutoring services, or university libraries beyond what is accessible to the general public. However, this could change depending on school policy.
Here are some important subjects related to auditing a class: