Should I mention in my statement of purpose that I did not attend lectures in my last two years of undergrad? In my first few years of university I had very uneven grades because traditional classrooms just didn't work for me. My GPA was probably around a 2.8-2.9. I was able to turn my grades around by not attending lectures at all. My GPA for these last two years of undergrad was a 3.5, and my GPA in graduate coursework was a 3.8.
Most of my statement of purpose is forward looking, but I feel the need to elaborate on my transcripts a little bit, particularly because I am hoping to switch fields. I also want to also try to amplify the fact that the decision to not attend classes was positive and life-changing; it has benefits for functioning independently as a researcher.
So, my question is: Would it be perceived negatively if I stated in my SOP that I stopped attending classes?
I'm not asking for writing help, but I'll include a short snippet just to demonstrate what I have in mind:

I have always been naturally curious, but coming from a family where both parents did not graduate from high school I struggled with developing healthy academic habits and with finding success in traditional classroom environments. My poor habits persisted until the fall of 2015 when I made the decision to stop attending classes so that I could experiment with alternative ways of learning. This risky decision forced me to critically reflect on my weaknesses in a way I never had before, and while I did not realize it at the time, this decision was my first step towards becoming an independent researcher. By initially stepping away from the structured classroom environment I struggled finding success in, I was then able to enter and engage in my graduate classroom discussions with maturity and a recalibrated sense of purpose....
I'd shorten and tone it down if I were you. Being a researcher involves a lot of sitting in other people's talks, so we all know that lectures are boring. But we still do it, because those are an excellent chance to socialize. We might just pack a paper to read in case it gets too boring. So your statement makes you look a bit like a loner. And being able to study something without being present in a lecture is a skill I'd assume anyone with a degree has. I don't think anyone ever finished a degree where all lecturers are perfect explainers and there is no need to study something on your own at some point.
So while I would not necessarily view your explanation negatively, I also don't see it as helping you much. So while you should explain your bad initial grades, I'd keep it short and simple. Something like &quot;Coming from a non-academic family background I struggled initially, but then I changed my approach to studying&quot; without going too much into detail.
Finally I think there is also a bit of an &quot;I am very different&quot;-undertone in what you write. It makes you seem aloof and possibly difficult to work with. This is again minor, but in direct comparison with a similar candidate it could tip the scales against you.