Students' Rude Behavior Disrupts the Lesson and Learning for All

By CHRISTINA NICHOLAS

There is nothing worse than having a class with that intolerable guy who can’t keep his opinion to himself for two minutes. Or that one girl who chomps her gum so loudly that you would think there was a megaphone involved.

We have all faced these types of problems during our academic career. What makes this even more dreadful is that these manner issues occur within classrooms full of adults.

Last semester, I had a class that was particularly memorable thanks to one, special guy. Unfortunately, I’m not referring to what I learned from the professor. Every single period, like clockwork, this one student would bring two meals from the nest to devour during the class session.

I am talking about meals like fried chicken, wings and pizza. I am not objecting to eating dinner with company, but I prefer it to be company of my choice, along with a table designed for dining and napkins when necessary. This would certainly apply to situations that involve the consumption of foods like chicken wings.

However, I do have to appreciate that this student showed up for class. As irritating as it was to see a chicken bone being gnawed on out of the corner of my eye, I have to give him credit for his impeccable attendance.

Let us also recognize that kid whose signature is never found on the attendance sheet, but who is always able to find you when they need the notes. I, personally, think the notes are fairly useless when you didn’t hear the lecture yourself. On the other hand, this person could be very well acquainted with the concept of uselessness if they happen to be missing class in favor of sleeping in or playing video games for the mere price of a college education.

Despite my criticism of the previously mentioned offenses, I will be the first to admit that I am not perfect. I have been late to class, talked out of turn and, yes, I have had my cell-phone out during class. In reality, you will most likely oversleep at least once in the semester, and be forced to walk in after the professor has begun their lecture. Also, there is no doubt in my mind that you will eventually forget to turn your phone on silent and have to endure the excruciatingly awkward 15 seconds of that goofy ringtone playing for all to hear.

The difference between these occasional happenings and the ones described in the beginning of this article are the intentions involved.

Miniscule distractions can be overlooked, such as when someone brings a sandwich or something subtle to nibble on occasionally. However, please do not make it known to the class what your top three favorites are from the Wow Café and Wingery.

No one wants to be the inspiration for a piece like this, so let’s all show some respect to our professors and peers and act as we should in a college classroom.