Why You Should Skip Class: The Data Stream Argument

Stay home or go to school?

Throughout years of school, I've always sought the most efficient way to study. And I decided that my ability to learn from the textbook was good enough such that I have to weigh the utility of going to class against my self-learning abilities. Eventually, I realized that it was almost always more efficient to study alone with the book rather than to attend lecture (with some exceptions). One justification for this is the data stream argument based on a measure of words per minute.

The Wikipedia page on Words Per Minute (WPM) gives us a few well-sourced metrics. Audio books are typically around 150-160 WPM. We can assume this is representative of optimal comprehension speed while listening because that's what audio books are for; slide presentations are typically slower than this. 

Contrast this with reading where the average adult reads at 250 to 300 WPM, while proofreading at around 180-200 WPM. If we factor in the commuting time it takes to go to school and all the miscellaneous questions and pauses that occur in lecture, the answer is clear. As long as the content in lecture is reflected well enough in a book, you should probably skip class.

Update: Some have mentioned that they often have issues of comprehension when reading. And when this happens, they often have to re-read things. Two subsequent posts attempt to answer this concern: Never Read Anything More Than Once and Active Learning.