By Sara Scafuro – Contributor

We’ve all had that morning. The alarm goes off, your brain protests and you think, “It’s just one class, what’s the harm?” But here’s a thought: every time you skip a lecture, you’re not just missing notes, you’re effectively spending money to not learn. Let’s crunch the numbers.

Here at Bishop’s, the average full-time undergraduate tuition and fees, factoring in local, domestic and international students across programs, come to roughly $10,000 per semester. Divide that by five courses, and then again by the number of class meetings per course (about twenty-four).

To put that in perspective, here’s a quick look at what different students are actually paying per semester:

Student Type	Per Credit (2025–26)	Estimated 15-Credit Semester	Approx. Cost per Class (24 per course)
Quebec Residents	$100.89	~$1 513	~$15 per class
Canadian (Out-of-Province)	$314.89	~$4 723	~$45 per class
International Students	$955.03	~$14 325	~$135 per class

That’s right! Sleeping through your Tuesday 8:30 a.m. lecture could cost anywhere from $15 to $135, depending on where you’re from. That’s roughly the same as a Big Mac trio from McDonald’s, or a fancy dinner. And if you multiply that by a few skipped classes per semester, you’re suddenly looking at hundreds of dollars, enough for a weekend getaway you’ll actually remember.

But the “price tag” of skipping goes deeper than dollars.

The hidden costs

The hidden costs start with lost learning value. You might think, “It’s fine, the slides are online.” But lectures are not just about bullet points, they’re where professors explain tricky concepts, answer questions you didn’t know you had and connect the dots between theory and practice. Skipping one or two classes can snowball into gaps that make studying for exams a lot harder.

Then there’s opportunity cost, a concept any economics student will recognize. When you skip, you’re not just wasting money. You’re also missing out on access to an expert’s knowledge and the chance to engage with classmates’ ideas. It’s like paying for a concert ticket and then deciding to stand outside the venue because you can hear the music from there.

Repeated skipping can also have long-term financial consequences. Lower grades might mean retaking a class, which can easily add another $1,000–$2,000 to your tuition bill. Fall too far behind, and an extra semester could cost thousands more in tuition and living expenses. Over time, those “free mornings” start looking like very expensive naps.

Balancing the equation

Of course, everyone has their reasons. Camryn Haley, a second-year psychology major, told me she occasionally skips “for mental health days.” “Sometimes I just need to reset,” she said. “It’s not about being lazy, it’s about not burning out.”

That’s a valid point. Skipping every once in a while can be part of maintaining balance, especially when it’s intentional and restorative. But another student, Agathe Laine, a business major, had a different take: “My dad likes to say every missed class is like throwing money out the window. I try to picture that before I decide to skip, it makes the decision a lot harder.”

Maybe the best approach lies somewhere in between those mindsets. Acknowledging that life happens, while also being conscious of what’s at stake.

So next time you’re hovering over the snooze button or convincing yourself that lecture recordings are basically the same, try running a little mental calculation. Ask yourself: What did that decision just cost me?

Because when you break it down, skipping class isn’t just about time or motivation, it’s a microeconomic choice. You’re deciding whether the short-term comfort of staying in bed is worth the long-term cost of knowledge, grades and, yes, actual money.

So, take your nap if you really need it. But remember that’s not just a nap, that’s a $15, $45, or even $135 nap.