On the first day of the new semester, one of my professors showed us a picture of the different types of people you see in class based on where they sat in the room. For the rest of the day I found myself assessing where people were sitting, including myself.
Wherever you sit in the room, this is what your professor and other people are thinking about you.
First row.
The do-gooder. we’ve all seen this person before, even before college. They sit in the front row, pencil and pen out in a perfectly straight line, parallel to a notebook opened to a fresh clean page. No laptop, iPad or phone in sight. This person will usually smile at the professor and voluntarily answer questions.
The "I really need to do well in this class so I’m sitting in the front row so I don’t get distracted" student. This person is probably sporting a large T-shirt and already has their laptop open. They look focused and ready to go until you look closer at their Internet tabs. Next to the PowerPoint slides is Pinterest, Facebook and iMessage -- smooth.
Second and third row.
The "don’t call on me but I’m a good student" student. This person will probably do better than everyone in the front row ,but they will look like a deer in the headlights if they get called on. They probably take amazing, color coded notes so befriend this person!
The typical student. This is probably a good percentage of the university. They go to class on a regular basis and complete their work on time. But they won’t worry about going above and beyond. This person has the perfect balance of involvement on campus and their academics. So, as soon as their last class gets out, there is no academics until Sunday night. But, they are a good study buddy and will probably make your study session a lot more entertaining.
The "I was late to class and this was the only seat that wasn’t in the front row" student. This person is the person I assume all professors hate. No attendance policy? See y’all at the exam.
Last row.
The "I’m probably always going to be hungover and/or sleeping" student. This star student will always ask you for a pen, when something is due or if the exam is cumulative. No, sorry, you can’t have my number to ask me one million questions about the home work you didn’t do.
The "Notes? But he posts the PowerPoints online" student. This person will go to class, but the second their butt hits the seat their laptop or phone is out. They have no supplies and only have a backpack to safely store their electronics. They are an expert crammer and only go to class because what else is there to do at noon on a Tuesday?