Professionalism and system of Healing Essay Example for Free

Professionalism and system of Healing Essay Much of the existing sociological work on professions and professionalism takes a structural approach (Macdonald 1995); the focus is on how groups of people professionalize, or how professionalism can be defined, which occupations count as ‘true’ professions (Johnson 1981). For this reason ‘professionalism’ is often dismissed as rhetoric. In order to achieve status and monopolistic position in the market for services of some kind, aspiring professionals are seen to stress the distinctness of their knowledge, the undoubted authenticity of their altruism and the responsibility of their members. When professionalism is considered purely as a trope perhaps this is a legitimate line to take. However, it can overlook the fact that professionalism can also be regarded as a set of boundary setting practices. These practices no doubt contribute to status since they distance the professional from the client, but they may also benefit the client. For example, the practitioner may adopt a person in which his or her emotions or prejudices are back grounded and subordinated to the client’s task in hand (Cant and Sharma 1998). Professionalism Professionalism in medicine is nothing more than the institutionalization of a male upper class monopoly. I must never confuse professionalism with expertise. Expertise is something to work for and to share; professionalism is – by definition – elitist and exclusive, sexist, racist and classist. In the American past, women who sought formal medical training were too ready to accept the professionalism that went with it. They made their gains in status – but only on the backs of their less privileged sisters – midwives, nurses and lay healers. The main goal today should never be to open up the exclusive medical profession to women, but to open up medicine to all women. Professionalism is the ability to meet the relationship-centered expectations required to practice medicine competently. What does competence look alike? The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the umbrella organization for certifying boards agree that competent physicians have abilities in the following areas: medical knowledge, patient care, professionalism, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skill, and system based practice. Professionalism integrates all these competencies. It can be observed, for instance, with practice-based learning and improvement when students or residents reflect on their performance and task themselves. Professionalism interfaces with system-based practice when students or residents help patients obtain the care and resources they need to maintain health. Professionalism overlaps with interpersonal and communication skills and with patient care when students or residents are respectful in their interactions with others. The Healing System The integrative practitioner acknowledges the intrinsic restorative capacity of the human organism. Activation of this process is critical to an integrative practitioner’s decisions regarding which therapeutic choices are most beneficial for the patient. Weil has described the concept of a â€Å"healing system† operating in the human organism, not intrinsically different in nature from the â€Å"endocrine system† the â€Å"nervous system, the â€Å"immune system,† or any other conventionally defined functional system in the human body. Like these other systems, the healing system is not specifically located in any single organ, but functions via a subtle and complex web of intracellular signaling systems affecting all levels of the organism, from the cellular level to the tissue-organ level to the levels of mind and spirit. Weil gives an example of the process at the cellular level: when the DNA of a skin cell is damaged by ultraviolet radiation – potentially triggering mutation and unregulated replication, eventually leading to development of a skin malignancy – DNA lipase and a set of related enzymes within the damaged cell’s nucleus are automatically activated, resulting in the identification and removal of the damaged sequence, with restoration of normal replication. If this level of â€Å"automatic healing† fails, then generally, once the cell has mutated and begun to replicate abnormally, immune cells will identify it as foreign and contain and destroy the affected group of cells – without any conscious action on the part of the person affected. At the level of tissues or organs, the spontaneous healing of wounds is an obvious example of the healing system at work. The occurrence of an injury initiates a complex system of intracellular signaling, leading to local inflammation as a defense against infection, increased tissue perfusion to promote healing, and, ultimately, activation of fibroblasts and other cells to repair the damaged skin and subcutaneous tissues. Here again, although this process can potentially be influenced by certain inputs, including medications, botanicals, mind-body therapies, and others, the basic mechanisms of healing are intrinsic and require no intervention to be moved into action. Summary Medicine is a cooperative art and a deeply satisfying profession. Students become professional by paying attention to the relationship of medicine-relationships with patients, colleagues, and mentors. Competence in professionalism is a habit, and its acquisition requires more than knowledge and skill. The inclusion of traditional medical system and other proven modalities in a healing-oriented framework brings us back to a more balanced stance that serves the physician, the patient, and ultimately, the health care system..

Bowlbys Theory of Attachment Essay

Bowlbys Theory of Attachment Essay In the light of changes to the family since 1950 are Bowlbys ideas about care for young children still relevant today? In this paper, Bowlbys theory of attachment and child care will be outlined along with additions from other theorists such as Rutter and Ainsworth. From this we will see how the evolution of the family unit since the 1950s has been affected by such theories along with welfare policy and social theorists which have influenced family life and childcare practices in the UK. Bowlby described attachment as the bond that develops between a baby and its primary caregiver. It is characterised by the interaction patterns which develop in order to fulfil the infants needs and emotional development. Bowlby noted the apparent distress in children separated from their mothers in unusual circumstances e.g. hospitalisation. In studying the more abnormal and distressing situations he attempted to shed light on an understanding of normal emotional attachment development, and how a disruption could prove damaging to the child emotionally and through to adult maturation. Bowlby suggested that the presence of the mother was just as crucial to the baby as being supplied basic needs such as food. His conclusions led him to postulate that the distress at separation from the mother was universal in babies. Bowlby characterised this distress as following the pattern of infant protest, followed by despair and ending in eventual detachment. The term separation anxiety was brought about echoing ethological survival techniques in which patterns of actions enable survival of young animals. Such ideas influenced Bowlby in postulating a significant period attachment of one to five years which was imperative historically to biological survival, and if they were not in place then emotional and intellectual problems would occur in adulthood. This can be seen as a rigid attitude and has played a large part in influencing childcare decisions through the establishment of a connection between maternal absence, child care (including institutional and foster care) and later developmental problems. Studies from Rutter and Ainsworth have agreed with an attachment principle but have developed it to include situational variables such as previous home life, relationships, depth of bonding and care and reasons and reactions of the caregiver in dealing with an absence and return situation that can have an effect on the child above any basic separation. The length of absence, quality of care giving within that absence and inherent flexibility and adaptability of infants as well as their capability to make multiple attachments all need to be taken into account within this area. During the 1940s Bowlby made a connection between the attachment of an infant and mother and the shaping of an infants personality. From this an association was placed on the mother caring for the child instead of working. At this time welfare policies were focussed on a post war development of the family, and working freedoms afforded to women during the war were heavily curtailed as was war time nursery care. Popular policies suggested women should now be investing in their families as a duty. Thus if female workers were not being encouraged politically as an economic asset then child care policy provision was also diminished. Here Bowlbys ideas fuelled policy through popularising images of home based child care and family values by experts. Rutter later influenced changes through his findings of multiple attachment making in children although stressed that continuity of attachment was important. He was in support of child day care as long as it was continuous and high quality, although a preference of parental care was suggested by Rutter. There is a difficulty in isolating variables which result in positive and negative attachments. Indeed some feminists argue that stay at home mothers are often at risk of harming their children through an inability to cope and lack of support from immediate or extended family. Associated with this argument is that of the risk from domestic violence which increases isolation and effects the development of the child even if the primary caregiver is ever present. From the 1950s an increased development of the nuclear family has been argued to provide a duel function. In this the family is seen to provide close personal relationships and act as an economic strategy for development and to maintain stability and control. Such evolution of the family has been characterised by transience and isolation of family units from the extended family and community itself. A close knit extended family can provide more options for child care and support whereas otherwise external methods of care are needed. If maternal proximity with the under-fives is crucial then entire communities would be maladjusted by design and this clearly cannot be held across the board. Again the issue of consistency and quality over quantity of child care can be bought to view. Popular media along with welfare policies have in recent years sought to not only improve childcare and rearing practices, provide support, normalise differing household situations such as lone parent, and expansion and regulation of child day care provision. Feminist theory has been at the forefront of womens re- entry to work force as well as a normalisation of divorce and single parent or co-habiting (step) households. On the other hand the feminist push for womens employment rights has resulted in inevitable contradictions as women are pulled in both directions, and indeed even the act of having children at all is currently considered heavily in an economic light due to the increased cost of living and childcare fees. Nowadays we can see increased governmental intervention in support of the family in the form of lengthening maternity and paternity and parenting care rights, childrens rights, tax credits, flexible working, child care and pre-school provisions and subsidies, and the importance of family environment and child security building in issues of fostering and child protection. Thus the family by whatever shape of form it may take in the UK is heavily affected by the economic requirements and government policy provision. It is now the norm for women to work as well as be responsible for child care and household upkeep. Subsequently it is the norm for mothers to be separated from babies before their first birthday due to monetary need and often this has to be longer than desirable due to a cycle of economic need and high child care fees. Overall, I can conclude that Bowlbys ideas although outdated have persisted through the decades and still influence child rearing and day care decisions. It can be seen as persisting in governmental policy to this day for example, in maternity leave being extended to cover twelve months leave Bowlby would surely support this move. In all Bowlbys ideas of attachment and primary parental care giving remain pervasive and are ingrained within the family unit in the UK, although an acknowledgement of multiple attachments and quality of child care are now highlighted over simply the primary care givers proximity.

Dialects :: Language Talking Dialect Essays

Dialects "Here you are the Top Ten List for the evening. Tonight’s Top Ten, Rejected TV show ideas to replace Seinfeld. If you know what I mean? Ha Ha!" (The Late Show 1998). As a student at Ball State University I come across many different people daily within a term. These individuals come from numerous locations within the state and beyond our identified state boundaries or even regional area of the nation. Considering the vast diversity, the common student will at a majority of the time encounter many different dialects in various conversational situations. These regional standard dialects are all brought together at an institution for higher learning. This leads to issues pertaining to the idea of dialect area and dialect variation involving the factors of Dialectic Region. If these issues exist then would it not be logical that dialect mixing would then be relevant. In this case then the idea of repentance of a certain phrase would then become an incorporation into one’s o wn dialect after a certain period of exposure. Yet, is this exposure just limited to environment or does the mass technological revolution have a word in otherwise with the television and the music industry. These questions were the basic motivation for the research I conducted in order to find a better understanding to the issue pertaining to the environment in which I am trying to benefit from higher learning. On the 24th of April in 1998, at Bracken Library I issued a ‘Regional Standard Dialect Questionnaire’. The outcome of the survey was quite interesting and insightful when considering the issue at hand. The survey consisted of fifty random students entering Bracken Library. These students were split into two basic categories by gender. The two groups answered multiple questions in reference to the notion of, "You hear what I’m saying" and "You know what I mean?". The questions were aimed toward the aspect of usage and knowledge of the sayings themselves. The age range of the participants was between seventeen and twenty-four. Though other age ranges were offered the only area gathered was in the context of traditional undergraduate students. The males were sufficient in covering all aspects of the survey. The results of the questionnaire are as followed: 52% "You know what I mean?" 8% "You hear what I’m saying?" 36% used both expressions 4% used none of the above From these results the aspect of regional dialect was examined.

Pain into Beauty Essay -- Personal Narrative Emotional Verbal Abuse Es

Pain into Beauty People look back on their childhoods in different ways. Some see it as a time of joy and laughter, love and learning. Many feel a bittersweet mixture of happy nostalgia, and painful moments. Some prefer not to look back at all, seeking only to move forward. Then there are people like me, who look back in anger, bitterness, and sorrow. It seems that few people enjoy a pain-free upbringing. In fact, the very idea of childhood is a fairly new concept. In the early part of the last century, children were considered miniature adults, and were expected to act that way. Abuse, as defined today, was ignored and sometimes encouraged. â€Å"Spare the rod and spoil the child.† Today, abuse is carefully defined and is illegal, but many cases slip through cracks, for many reasons. One big reason is that the abuse is not physical, or sexual. Emotional and verbal abuse is very hard to prove. I was certainly unable to prove it. I'm not even sure my parents are aware they abused me. It is said that our past make us who we are and I often wonder what my past has made me. I entered this world normally enough, in Tucson, Arizona; in the second hottest month of the year (July); at the hottest time of day (mid-afternoon). I had a mother and father who doted on me. At least, I assume they did. Tragedy struck early in my life, taking my mother from me at the age of two months. She died of a seizure caused by a tumor on her adrenal gland. I never knew her, so I always assumed that her death never really affected me. My boyfriend and therapist feel differently. After all, I may have been an infant, but I still suffered a terrible loss. Had my mother lived, I would likely be writing a happier tale. Yet all was not lost, after all I was not... ...do and think things I never thought I would do, and so in desperation I went to a therapist, before I ruined my relationship altogether. It was here I learned the truth, and it was here I saw how deep the damage goes. It is a black shadow on my heart, and it is one that I am unsure will ever leave. So where is the beauty? It's underneath that shadow, struggling to break free. I see it in the grades I earn and the bills I pay. I see it in my hobbies, and I see it somewhere in myself, a glimmer in my grey eyes. It keeps the fear of loss at bay, and keeps me from making decisions based on that fear. But most of all, I see it daily, in the eyes of my love. I could not have won his heart if I was all of the things my step-mother claimed I was. I could not love him if I was any of those things. So there is beauty inside the pain, and I chip at it daily, working it free Pain into Beauty Essay -- Personal Narrative Emotional Verbal Abuse Es Pain into Beauty People look back on their childhoods in different ways. Some see it as a time of joy and laughter, love and learning. Many feel a bittersweet mixture of happy nostalgia, and painful moments. Some prefer not to look back at all, seeking only to move forward. Then there are people like me, who look back in anger, bitterness, and sorrow. It seems that few people enjoy a pain-free upbringing. In fact, the very idea of childhood is a fairly new concept. In the early part of the last century, children were considered miniature adults, and were expected to act that way. Abuse, as defined today, was ignored and sometimes encouraged. â€Å"Spare the rod and spoil the child.† Today, abuse is carefully defined and is illegal, but many cases slip through cracks, for many reasons. One big reason is that the abuse is not physical, or sexual. Emotional and verbal abuse is very hard to prove. I was certainly unable to prove it. I'm not even sure my parents are aware they abused me. It is said that our past make us who we are and I often wonder what my past has made me. I entered this world normally enough, in Tucson, Arizona; in the second hottest month of the year (July); at the hottest time of day (mid-afternoon). I had a mother and father who doted on me. At least, I assume they did. Tragedy struck early in my life, taking my mother from me at the age of two months. She died of a seizure caused by a tumor on her adrenal gland. I never knew her, so I always assumed that her death never really affected me. My boyfriend and therapist feel differently. After all, I may have been an infant, but I still suffered a terrible loss. Had my mother lived, I would likely be writing a happier tale. Yet all was not lost, after all I was not... ...do and think things I never thought I would do, and so in desperation I went to a therapist, before I ruined my relationship altogether. It was here I learned the truth, and it was here I saw how deep the damage goes. It is a black shadow on my heart, and it is one that I am unsure will ever leave. So where is the beauty? It's underneath that shadow, struggling to break free. I see it in the grades I earn and the bills I pay. I see it in my hobbies, and I see it somewhere in myself, a glimmer in my grey eyes. It keeps the fear of loss at bay, and keeps me from making decisions based on that fear. But most of all, I see it daily, in the eyes of my love. I could not have won his heart if I was all of the things my step-mother claimed I was. I could not love him if I was any of those things. So there is beauty inside the pain, and I chip at it daily, working it free

Political Bias Based on Demographic Region

â€Å"The biases the media has are bigger than conservative or liberal. They’re about getting ratings, about making money, about doing stories that are easy to cover. † This may seem like a trite saying but it holds an enormous amount of truth. As Americans, we trust what reporters write in the newspaper and say on television and radio stations. We expect them to report the truth. However, current media outlets distort stories and certain news reports are getting too much attention.The most important stories are never seen on television, or read in the newspaper, or heard on the radio stations, while minor and trivial stories get the most news coverage. Hence celebrity engagements, divorce, entrance in rehabilitation centers and DUI cases are sold to the media. American people are then left without valuable information contrary to what story is getting 24-hour news coverage.Media bias is a â€Å"term used to describe prejudice in news and media reports, in which it is perceived as an imbalance or unfair presentation of facts or selective reporting of which events or facts are reported. † The main point here is when biases in media distorts certain stories, and other stories are spoken about entirely too much, it hurts democracy in America. The media, in that case, fails to focus on real issues that underlie the American culture, it has one-sided opinions, favoring a liberal’s point of view, and it caters to the majority, favoring the wealthy.Media biases causes the America people to become misinformed or too well informed, often due to the tendency of the media covering unimportant stories about celebrities, while overlooking issues like war, poverty, disease, violence, and education. The media content and news coverage rarely display the underlying issues that the American people face. Rather, it only acknowledges news that may appeal to the audience â€Å"because of its dramatic or entertainment value. Senator Barack Obama recogni zes the failure of the American media in updating America with real issues at Southern New Hampshire University Commencement: â€Å"We see it in a media culture that sensationalizes the trivial and trivializes the profound – in a 24-hour news network bonanza that never fails to keep us posted on how many days Paris Hilton will spend in jail but often fails to update us on the continuing genocide in Darfur or the recovery effort in New Orleans or the poverty that lagues too many American streets† The media bonanza on Paris Hilton’s 14 day jail sentence was among one of most overplayed (unimportant) stories recently because TV news ran hundreds of hours of news coverage, while only showing 60-second sound bites of yet another death of an American soldier in combat in Iraq. Paris Hilton, a hotel heiress and the star in the media spotlight, was sentenced to a 14 day jail sentence at Century Regional Detention Centre in Lynwood, California on a traffic violation. The news media made the story seem so valuable and significant to report for so many hours.Some reporters believed that she deserved to be placed in jail because too many celebrities don’t receive the justifiable punishment they deserve like ordinary citizen because they are wealthy. Others believed that her jail sentence was too cruel just for a DUI charge, it was unfair and that she became the victim because of her prestige and as a famous figure in America. While Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and ABC were breaking in the entertainment news, debating whether her punishment was too cruel or justifiable, they failed to inform the American people about.When Hurricane Katrina unfolded in New Orleans, the media placed a lot of dramatic biases on the issue and missed the underlying point, misinforming the public. On August 23, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck down in New Orleans becoming one of the most devastating natural disasters to hit the United States. The media unfolded the events that those most effected in the black community, remained in New Orleans looting stores in search of food and water that weren’t available by any other means. On the other hand of the issue, white Americans were â€Å"wading through chest-deep waters finding soda and bread floating in the water from a grocery store†.But while Paris Hilton was hogging the headlines the media failed to report that during that week the Washington Post reported â€Å"that about $854 million offered by allied countries worldwide after Hurricane Katrina. To date, the Post reports, only $40 million in foreign aid has been funneled to the Gulf Coast. The story goes this way: Apparently the Bush administration was stymied on what to do when offered this aid, since the U. S. is not usually in a position to need or accept such assistance. How, and from whom the $40 million was accepted is unclear, but what is eminently clear is that $800 million could have put the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast into f ast forward mode). † This goes to show that the media is filled with close-mindedness in which entertainment news surpasses â€Å"hard news every time. †5 Instead of bringing American people together to work in effort to make children lives better, the economy better, the living welfare of families better, the media devours our interest to support a difference by resembling soap operas and commercial television shows. Dateline is the same as ER or Friends.They all have to compete for prime time audiences. CBS and 48 Hours is the same as Everybody Loves Raymond. Notice how importance never enters into the equation. Notice how there isn't even a pretense to public interest. TV †news† has become celebrity trials and runaway brides, and sex — while foreign bureaus are closing and news budgets are shrinking and we become a people ever more thoroughly entertained than informed, even as we live through the most dangerous and portentous days in recent history . The media also has the tendency to uphold one-sided opinions, favoring liberals, whereas the mainstream media holds liberal biases.Liberals in a political sense relate to ideas and theories of government in which they advocate individual liberty, for example, race, abortion, affirmative action, homelessness, and gay rights. They use liberal principles and ideas that influence their news coverage and or selection of stories. Liberal biases undermine the American value. In the controversial book, â€Å"Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distorts the News,† Bernard Goldberg said â€Å"journalist doesn’t see their views as liberal but merely reasonable and civilized. † In contrast, the media, for the most part, is helpful in feeding the mass with stories that reflect America.In fact, America has never been provided with a broad arrangement and providers of news. However, government cannot solve the problems of media bias because part of the media bias is in part of political [government] decadence. The government embraces liberal views! The media only identifies problems for the government to solve, such as poverty, disease, and violence. To solve the problem of media bias, educational groups are needed to educate people about wanting to understand the truth and demand a balance in media coverage through advocacy and petitioning.

Discrimination Worksheet Essay

†¢ What is discrimination? How is discrimination different from prejudice and stereotyping? Discrimination is the denial of oppurtunities and equal rights to individuals and groups because of prejudice or for other arbitrary reasons (Schaefer, 2012). Discrimination is different from prejudice and stereotyping because discrimination is an action whereas prejudice is a belief or attitude and stereotyping is a generalization about a group of individuals (Schaefer, 2012). Both prejudice and stereotyping are ways of thinking about and classifying people into groups based on a belief or dislike of those individuals. Discrimination takes it a step further and puts those beliefs and attitudes into action by denying these groups of certain oppurtunities because of the prejudice and stereotyping. †¢ What are the causes of discrimination? Discrimination comes in many forms such as race, gender, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, and even disabilities. Discrimination is a learned behavior in which I believe children hear negative remarks about a group of people or individual from their parents or other influential persons and then make those judgements based upon what they grew up hearing about these individuals (Schaefer, 2012). Discrimination can also be caused from possible bad experiences with one individual that may cause another individual to now have negative feelings about this particular person because of race, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, or disability. Another cause of discrimination is institutional discrimination, which is the denial of oppurtunites and equal rights to individuals and groups that results from the normal operations of a society (Schaefer, 2012). †¢ How is discrimination faced by one identity group (race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability) the same as discrimination faced by another? How are they different? Facing discrimination is never an easy task to do. Having to face discrimination is difficult and usually the minority gets the brut force of the discrimination. The only way facing discrimination could be the same is that either group has to endure the prejudice for the actions and beliefs in which they are being discriminated about. The difference is that one identity group may receive harsher discrimination for their identity group. Race, gender, and disability may get hit harder when it comes to jobs and other oppurtunities than would ethnicity, religious groups, and sexual orientation. Certain groups have been discriminated even harsher than others and this can lead to hate crimes, such as race. Either way discrimination is a negative action and the more we can do to prevent it, the better it will be for our future.

Terms Of Service For [ Websitename.com - 2978 Words

TERMS OF SERVICE FOR [WEBSITENAME.COM] Updated as of February 1, 2016 The following terms and conditions (the Terms of Service) govern your access to and use of the [WEBSITENAME.COM] (Site), any services provided by [INSERT COMPANY NAME] (?Company?) through the Site (Service) and any information, text, graphics, or other materials appearing on the Site or Service (Content). By accessing or using this Site, Content, or Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Service from time to time. If this occurs, we will provide prominent notice of it on [WEBSITENAME.COM]. The revised terms will take effect when they are posted. You acknowledge and agree that if you use the Site†¦show more content†¦If you are at least 13 but not yet 18 years of age: Please have your parents or legal guardian review these Terms of Service with you and discuss any questions you might have. Please have them give you their consent to use the service with both your and their full understanding of these Terms of Ser vice. By using the Services, you are confirming that you and your parent or guardian have joined in this agreement. Parents and Guardians: Please supervise your children s on-line activities. If you do not agree to these Terms of Service, do not let your child use the Services. If you have any further questions about our Services please contact us. If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 13 and believe that he or she is using the Services, please contact us at support@[WEBSITENAME.COM]. Parents and Guardians: please oversee your child s use of the Site. The Site facilitates the private sharing of user-generated-content. However, Company assumes no responsibility for screening, filtering, or monitoring the content that is shared or viewed by its members, some of which may not be appropriate for children under age 18, and which may contain R-rated material, comprise nudity, violence or mature subject matter. Minors parents or guardians shall be solely responsible for overseeing, screening, filtering, and/or monitoring their child s use of the Site and its Services. Company assumes no responsibility for

What to Do If You Miss Class in College

In contrast to high school, missing a class in college can often feel like no big deal. Its rare for college professors to take attendance, and if youre only one student out of hundreds in a large lecture hall, you might feel like no one noticed your absence. So what -- if anything -- do you need to do if you miss class in college? Contact Your Professor Consider emailing or calling the professor.  You dont always have to let your professor know if you missed class, but you should at least think carefully about whether or not you need to say something. If you missed one relatively uneventful lecture in a class with hundreds of people, you might not need to say something. But if you missed a small seminar class, definitely touch base with your professor. A quick message apologizing for missing class because you had the flu, for instance, should work. Similarly, if you missed a major exam or a deadline for turning in an assignment, youll need to touch base with your professor as soon as possible. Note: If you do miss class, dont mention why if your reason was ridiculous (I was still recovering from my fraternity party this weekend!) and dont ask if you missed anything important. Of course,  you missed important things, and implying otherwise will just insult your professor. Talk to Classmates Check in with your classmates about what material you missed.  Dont assume you know what happened in class, regardless of how previous class sessions have gone. For all you know, your professor mentioned that the midterm has been moved up by a week, and your friends wont remember to tell you this key detail until (and unless) you ask. Perhaps people were assigned small study groups and you need to know which one you now belong to. Perhaps a comment was made about some material that will be covered on an upcoming exam. Perhaps the professor announced a change in office hours or when the final exam will take place. Knowing what content was scheduled to be covered in class is not the same as knowing what actually happened. Keep Your Professor in the Loop Let your professor know if you expect to miss class again sometime soon.  If, for example, you have a family emergency to deal with, let your professor know whats going on. You dont need to go into too much detail, but you can (and should) mention the reason for your absence. Letting your professor know that a family member passed away and that youll be gone the rest of the week to travel home for the funeral is a smart and respectful message to send along. If youre in a small class or lecture, your professor might plan their class activities differently knowing that one (or more) students will be absent on a certain day. Additionally, if you have something going on that requires more than an absence or two, youll want to let your professor (and dean of students) know in case you start to fall behind on your coursework. Letting your professor know why youre missing class so much can help you work together to find a solution; leaving a professor out of the loop about your class abse nces will only further complicate your situation. If you do miss class, just be smart about communicating when necessary and setting yourself up for a successful rest of the semester as much as possible.