Illustration by Elza High
Caelin Bragg
Lantern Staff
I don’t know the reasons other people are attending college, but I’m here to learn and constant distractions from other students in the classroom get in the way of that.
Don’t be on the phone during a class period. I don’t know why it’s necessary for someone to say that. We’re considered adults at this point, and whether that’s justified or not, we should act like it. It’s not hard to spend an hour sitting and being quiet like a responsible person. Some of the things I’ve seen in some of my classes are downright childish.
Pulling out phones or laptops not only distract the people using them, but it gets in the way if the person is sitting in front of me, just like if it were in a movie theater. It can also get in the way if, after the lecture, we have an in-class activity, and I have to re-explain what we’re doing because they weren’t paying attention. I already dislike most group activities (unless the class is cool, shout out to my Beginning Spanish 2 class) and being paired with someone who actively doesn’t care affects me and my grade if our performance is hindered because the work is on my shoulders.
Something that happens almost equally as much as phone or laptop usage is talking during a class period, which goes the extra mile in terms of disruptive behavior. Talking during class not only makes it hard to hear the teacher, it also stops the class if the students are too loud, and the teacher has to tell them to “shut up,” usually just in more flowery language. I have major respect for my teachers who deal with students like this on a daily basis. If I was in their position, I don’t think I could keep a calm composure if someone was regularly being disrespectful to me.
And hey, I’ve definitely had lectures where I really couldn’t care less for what’s being talked about and might have zoned out a little. I’ll admit that. But my teachers are spending their time as a service to me, and the other students in the classroom, and the least I could do in return is sit and behave while I take notes instead of being actively disrespectful by pulling out my phone or talking to deskmates.
And finally, don’t be on the phone during class, because that probably needs repeating one last time.