10 Things You Should Never Do In Class

When it comes to university lectures, there are just some things you should avoid doing. Here are 10 of them. Written by Jessica Lam on behalf of RU Student Life.

Written by Jessica Lam on behalf of RU Student Life

Compared to high school, there is a lot of freedom when it comes to university lectures. Yes, you can eat, chew gum, and sit wherever you want. However, there are unspoken rules you must follow in order to not tick off everyone around you... And I guarantee you will encounter all of these people. Being considerate gets you a long way, my friends. Here are 10 things you should avoid doing in class.

1. Bring LOUD Food

Don't you dare open that bag of Doritos. Or unwrap that Subway sandwich. We're trying to listen to what's going to be on the exam, not the crinkling of your stupid food wrappers or your noisy NOM NOM NOMs.

2. Come Late

You race into class, slam the door shut behind you, and settle yourself noisily into the nearest empty seat you can find. At LEAST try to be a little more quiet. If you have back-to-back classes at Sally Horsfall and Ted Rogers (because yes, this unfortunate situation is possible), then okay, alright, you are excused. If you're late just because you decided to wait in line at Starbucks, get out of here.

3. Chitchat Non-Stop

You're distracting people around you. You're disrupting your professor. No one wants to hear about your pssst psssst psst psst throughout a three-hour lecture. Stay quiet or stay out of the room. Capiche?

4. Fall Asleep

No one plans on falling asleep in class. If you've been up all night studying or you woke up super early to commute to your 8 A.M. class, I suggest you grab yourself a warm cup of coffee. If you're like me and coffee has no effect on you, at least try not to sit at the front of class, so the prof doesn't *completely* notice you've fallen asleep. Take it from someone who has fallen asleep right in front of the professor's face... A number of times...

5. Comment On EVERYTHING the Professor Says

Questions about parts of the lecture you don't understand are fine. Counter-arguing or commenting on every single thing the professor says is not. We get it, you're smart, opinionated, strong-minded – whatever. The rest of the class does not care for your opinion. Sorry not sorry.

6. Come to Class... Under the Influence

Y'all know better than that!

7. Get Distracted By Technology

Giggling at something stupid-funny on Tumblr while your professor is speaking..... Debating on whether you want those shoes in black or white..... Looking down at your phone when it lights up from receiving a text..... Not only are you distracting yourself, you're distracting your fellow classmates. Grab your notebook instead of your laptop (personal preference) and stuff your phone in your bag if you're easily distracted. Trust me, you will be a lot more attentive without technology in the way.

8. Sit at the End of the Row

Have you ever pushed your way to the front row of a concert at the Sound Academy? Unless you're one of the last students to walk in, don't trouble yourself or anyone else by sitting at the end of the row. It's not pleasant.

9. Be a Jerk to Your Classmates

Yes, this goes out to you, girl-who-sat-beside-me-two-semesters-ago-and-tried-to-join-an-already-group-of-two-instead-of-being-my-partner. We're all here to learn. High school drama is unnecessary.

10. Not Participate

Yeah, yeah, you only get participation marks in your seminars. Does everything you do have to come with a reward? Imagine asking a group of let's say, a hundred people, a question and having no one respond. The number of times my philosophy prof last semester tried to spark debates and conversations that no one bothered to answer... Can't imagine it's a very nice feeling. Plus, imagine how fabulous you'll feel when you get the answer right.