Looking around the classroom, I find myself always distracted. The unnoticed, yet undeniably distinguishable students, we see every day are the same types of students we see in all classrooms. Just as in high school there is always the "class clown" and the "teacher's pet," college without fail brings in new aspects to the stereotypical kids. Coming to college did not disappoint with the diversity in people and how they choose to learn. All of these types of students listed below are all real life students in my classes this week.
1. The one who always brings Starbucks
2. The one who sits in the front and writes down every word the professor says
3. The kid in the back who is falling asleep
4. The kid in the front who is falling asleep
5. The one in the back watching Netflix
6. The one on an iPad the entire class
7. The kid who laughs a little too hard at the professor's jokes
8. The Greek
9. Or group of Greeks
10. The kid who is doing homework for another class
11. The kid who is getting sick and sniffles the whole class
12. The teacher's pet who nods and feigns interest in the professor's stories of traffic and such (you aren't fooling anyone)
13. The one in the awkward looking tank top
14. The one with the wheely backpack
15. The kid in class that always leaves early and everyone notices
16. The kid who adds you on Facebook, even though you don't really talk
17. The one on his phone playing an outdated phone app... (I literally saw someone playing Temple run 2 days ago)
18. The girl with the long hair that falls on your desk
19. The kid that stretches and the teacher thinks he/she has a question but he/she just says "oh no... I'm stretching"
20. The one with the nervous habit i.e. the "pen chewer" or the "leg shaker"
21. The one who is on their phone not-so-secretly texting
22. The one who thinks they are sneaky for texting on their computer
23. The girl with the expensive color-coordinated planner
24. The one in the school spirited apparel
25. The kid awkwardly wearing apparel from another school (OKAY Mr. Stanford.. You go to Cal Poly)
26. The one in the leather jacket
27. The kid who looks like a 40-year-old
28. The one who is actually in his/her 40s
29. The kid in class you ALWAYS see around campus. And you feel compelled to make small talk about class.. And you both realize it is really not interesting at all
30. The one finishing her article for Odyssey quickly before the teacher arrives...
We all learn in different ways; no matter if you learn better from sitting in the front row asking questions or if you choose to learn from the screen of a Netflix account. As I look around I see all of these students.. But I also see myself. I simultaneously have been most of these people. It reminds me that although we are all very different, we all share commonalities in ways we wouldn't expect. So next time you are in class, keep an eye out for these students. I promise they are there. You might even be one of them.
