Do not fall behind. Stay up with the schedule. Employers expect reliability and punctuality as minimum standards. I expect every student to be present at the start of class. Being late disrupts the class, is not fair to your classmates, and slows the progress of the class.
Attendance is based on the full attendance of an entire class period.
Students should leave early only with the prior permission of the professor or an emergency. Students should inform the professor, if practical, if an absence is unavoidable for an excused reason. Your overall performance is likely to be impacted if classes are missed because you are missing discussion of the key points, explanations, and interaction. Your class participation grade will be impacted for the obvious reason you cannot participate if you are not here. I plan to keep attendance.