By Kirby Wigton
Coming to college here at the University of Portland, I expected to escape almost every facet of high school that bothered me. Gone are the cliques, popularity, social standings, and the discipline of teachers. But I still find myself faced with several grievances in class here at UP.
Every day this semester, I have at least one class with someone that inadvertently lessens it with what they say and do. Now, I know they don't mean to take away from my learning experience, but I've grown fatigued by it.
And I know I will share more classes with these students, hence I'm here, writing this.
Putting in a few words for every word these students have uttered. I'm talking about none other than "annoying students."
This is just the most general term to cover those I complain about. You all know about those fellow Pilots: the kid that asks too many questions, the kid that asks completely unrelated questions, the student that has to talk after everything the professor says, etc.
They may not know it, but this behavior has to end.
As a sophomore, I'm faced with increasingly difficult classes this semester. I'm sick of hearing students announce their homework grades, validating their correct answer with shouting or talking after everything their professor says. Really, good for you that you spent two extra hours to get 15 out of 15 points while I sit here, happy with my 13. But must it be bragged about?
Does it have to be announced to the world?
Just because mommy can't put it on the fridge doesn't mean you have to show it off to people who only know your name because of the negative attention you draw.
Maybe these kids should instead show their papers off to the student with an endless supply of questions.
However, don't expect them to let you get a word in. Honestly, it's selfish. Yes, these students may be confused or need clarification.
But a teacher's syllabus has a schedule of events.
These students indirectly aim to alter this, pushing classes behind with their selfish questions.
A professor provides office hours for multiple reasons.
One of those subliminal reasons is to help students that weren't able to ask questions because of these selfish hand-raisers. And sometimes, the questions have nothing to do with the current lesson.
One of my pet peeves is against the students who must ask questions dealing with material that we'll learn later in the semester.
We get it: you're smart.
Don't look to me to give your small achievement a sense of value.
In my freshman year, classes were bigger, students were still adjusting to college life, and many individuals were too timid to even raise their hand during class (although I do have a lab with one freshman in particular that needs to read my previous paragraphs carefully).
Plus, having construction in the engineering building really helped to cancel out the noise of some of these annoying students.
I remember telling a friend that the only reason we didn't know about the annoying kid in my class last semester: "He sat in the front. We sat in the back. The construction cancelled out 90 percent of his annoyance."
I shouldn't have to say that again; construction shouldn't be needed to block out a bothersome student.
But now, entering my second year, I'm starting to see old habits reemerge from these students.
Now, with classes getting more specialized, my peers that share the same major as myself will be in many classes from here on out.
Not only that, but it would help these students to improve their behavior.
We're in college to enter the working world in more upper-division or exclusive jobs.
Social behavior plays a vital component in the workplace. How will your boss act when you shout amongst the halls of cubicles?
How will a supervisor react after answering your fifth question in a business meeting?
Will you avoid being fired just because they need your skills? No, a company can find anyone else with the same degree as you.
We're here to learn and socially develop into adults, along with readying ourselves for life out of the classroom.
If this can reach just one person and change them, then this was definitely worth it.
And I'm sorry if this did offend anyone, but for anyone that was offended by this, let me tell you that there were many people supporting me to write this opinion piece.
I don't want to beg, I just want to write something that can help some individuals to realize what they're doing in the classroom environment.
These habits that I have witnessed have actually made me assess what I'm really paying for college.
Is tuition worth having to deal with this? I don't think so.
Kirby Wigton is a sophomore electrical engineering major
