To me it seems the post wants to be titled "Work vs. Ability". I remember in high school (and perhaps college, but that was a blur) some classes gave "attendan

To me it seems the post wants to be titled "Work vs. Ability". I remember in high school (and perhaps college, but that was a blur) some classes gave "attendance points". That always bothered me. If the class itself had value, attending class would naturally produce, on average, better test scores. If classes don't add value, anyone with sincere interest in the subject could pull more value out of reading books and reading code than sitting through lecture.