Opinion: What We’re All Thinking About Classroom Etiquette

Being in college means that I don’t always know what the right thing to do in a classroom setting is. College is already not nearly as structured as high school, which is both a blessing and a curse. Now, I don’t know if I’m being too nitpicky on other people’s behaviors, or if we’ve reached some collective understanding as a group.

But at the same time, I feel like there are some things that you just… shouldn’t do? Or at least, that you don’t do out of respect for your classmates and peers.

Here are a handful of things that don’t belong in a class setting, that aren’t too specific, but help define the sweet spot between college classroom norms and basic decency! The world needs more of my guidance. 

Sorry if you feel called out – I promise it’s not personal.

1. Calling In Sick: Do It!

Now, I, too, struggle with getting sick far too many times in a semester. It’s hard, and frankly rather annoying, but you know what’s more annoying? Getting sick from someone else.

This is not to say that you should skip every single one of your classes when you have the sniffles – unless you really want to – but that’s probably not a very good idea.

What I am saying is, please, for the safety of everyone around you, don’t force yourself to get up and come to class if you’re coughing up what sounds like both of your lungs plus a kidney. It’s okay to take advantage of your unexcused absences and get some adequate rest. We will all be better off. So send that email, snooze that alarm and take some NyQuil.

Especially as we venture down into Michigan’s colder months, being prone to sickness becomes pretty much inevitable. It’s hard enough to combat the sniffles when the temperatures drop into the negatives and I feel like I’m walking into a blizzard outside. Please don’t make it harder by bringing all of your germs to class with little to no protection against them. If you absolutely must be there in person, wear a mask!

2. Let Everyone Learn.

Okay, I definitely understand picking up the metaphorical torch for your classmates who may or may not be engaging much with the lesson or the professor. We appreciate you, and you are seen; however, there’s a clear difference between picking up some of the slack for everyone else and shrinking the lesson down to just yourself and the professor.

Arguably, both of these options are frustrating enough because A. we’re all in college, everyone should be engaging and B. please give the rest of us a chance to talk.

If the professor calls on you to answer the question because you have your hand raised, I’m going to assume that they’re expecting you to answer the question – not spiral off into a conversation about something very loosely related.

Also, if you’re just going to talk about how you’ve already learned this information from somewhere else and it’s so cool and blah blah blah, stop. I’m not sure if you’re in this class just for fun or what, but you’re not adding much to the lecture by showing off.

Whilst the name of the game in college is to interact with the material that interests you most, that should not result in the rest of us having to watch a five-minute-long tangent play out that has very little to do with what the lecture is about. If you are feeling so inspired to do so, maybe try talking to the professor after class! Or shoot them an email, or attend the office hours they keep pitching.

As someone who prefers when lecture times don’t run over because we’re just barely covering all of the material in one class, I appreciate making the most of class time from entry to exit. We pay to be taught by the professor, not you.

3. Take Off Your Shy Person Pants!

Now, on the flip side of that suggestion, please remember what you are paying to come to college for. Point being, your education.

I can promise you it’s not as mortifying as you think it is to answer one of your professor’s questions. It’s honestly more embarrassing for everyone in the lecture to be sitting silently and staring blankly at the front for ten whole seconds.

Ask questions! Engage with your professor! Turn and talk to your classmates when a situation calls for it! Just. Do. Something!

The lesson is for learning, so who cares if you get the answer wrong? More often than not, no one else knew the answer either. I doubt that everyone will point and laugh at you because of it.

4. I Know You’re on Instagram Reels. And I Shouldn’t.

Even though I could keep going on forever, I’ll save all of us the drama and wrap it up here.

If you’re going to be on your phone in class, don’t make it everybody else’s problem.

I shouldn’t have to hear your music, the TikToks you’re watching or whatever sports film you’re reviewing. I couldn’t care less about how much you’re paying attention to the professor, that’s not my job, but don’t be annoying about how much you’re not listening. If you have your AirPods in, only you should be hearing what’s going on inside them.

Also, if you don’t want to be in class, don’t come; nobody’s going to force you. Coming for just the attendance points likely isn’t going to get you very far if you have no clue what any of the material we’re talking about is.

I’m just saying.

I’m Begging, Just Be Mindful.

At the end of the day, I’m not the classroom police. I’m not going to berate anybody for whatever it is that they do or don’t do in a lecture. We’re all here for whatever reason; all I ask is that we collectively exercise a bit of mindfulness for the people around us.

Frankly, I can confidently say that everyone in college has been in some other sort of classroom-style environment before in their life, so use your best judgment to determine what’s appropriate to do in these situations. It might not be the same as my judgment, but I have a feeling they’re pretty close on the scale.

Regardless, classes should be a place where everyone can learn at their own pace and comfort level, and we should all strive to make that a possibility and a positive experience for all of our peers.