College Classroom Etiquette – No, Really.

During different phases of grade school and high school, you learn what not to do in class: no talking, no headphones, no cell phones. Although the college atmosphere is unrestrictive but professional — or one would think — there are certain things you should or shouldn’t do in a college classroom. Here are a few:

Don’t talk over the professor: You’re still at the desk, not at the podium. Because most of our college professors have at least six years of college education under their belts and their job is to educate, respecting them should be at the top of your list. Some of us are paying a lot of money to be here.

Do be open-minded: While I respect that you grew up in a different part of the country than I did, dismissing another person’s opinion is completely unnecessary. Sharing cultural differences is what college is all about, and when you sigh out loud at someone else’s opinion (we can all hear you) or challenge someone else’s experiences, it’s not okay.

Do read your syllabus: We all got the same one, and nothing is worse than having to listen to another student complain for ten minutes before class starts about how they “had no idea” the assignment was due today.

Do stay on topic: While we respect that you have that opinion, if the professor says, “that’s all I have for today, any questions?” he or she doesn’t mean, “tell me all about your family vacation when you were 5.”

Don’t sit in my spot: Now this might seem trivial, but I’m pretty sure the unspoken rule about choosing a seat in college is that you get two class periods to decide what side of the room you prefer to sit. I don’t want to walk into class during week 5 and see you set up camp for the rest of the semester. In the words of  The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper, “That’s my spot.”

— Sandra de Arrigunaga

Four Crossed Logs intern
professional communication major