Class attendance is highly recommended.
While a syllabus and textbook are provided, reading the textbook is
not an adequate substitute for attending class. The textbook
is meant to supplement what happens in class, not replace it.
Classes frequently include lecture material and/or in-class exercises not covered in the
textbook (or covered from a different perspective than the material in the textbook).
If you try to learn the material on your own, you will waste a lot of time
and miss out on the opportunity to ask questions as the material is discussed.
Of course, you may need to miss a class a couple of times during
the semester, but it is to your benefit to keep the number of absences
as low as possible. If unavoidable circumstances necessitate an extended
absence, please make arrangements with the instructor as
soon as possible, preferably in advance.