Choose Wisely: Picking Your Seat In College | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Choose Wisely: Picking Your Seat In College

Your unofficial-official seat in the classroom can determine the whole class for you!

1608
Choose Wisely: Picking Your Seat In College
wokandapix

One of the reasons people like me think that college is better than high school is because every semester you completely change classes, and thus change the people you have to be around. In high school, most of the time you're stuck with the same kids for the entire year, and that can get annoying real quick, especially if you get stuck in a shitty (most of the time assigned) seat. In college, not only do you get to change seat every semester, but you get to literally pick your destiny when you pick your seat for the semester.

After my first semester at college, I quickly realized just how crucial picking the RIGHT seat was for a class. It truly plays a big part in how the class is going to turn out for you. When picking your seat, you have to take several factors into account, such as the teacher, the students, and yourself. You really only have the first week to determine your seat before they become finalized and everyone has their "unofficial-official" seat. For some people, that means three classes, for others two, and for the not so lucky people, one class. The first week is kind of the time for everyone to scope out everything and everyone and strategize on which seat they want in the class. It's a good skill to have, because if you suck at it and end up with a shitty seat the first week, you're going to be stuck in a shitty seat for the whole semester. Let's go through some examples and strategies about picking the right seat.

I go to a rather small school, so a lot of my classes have around 15-30 people in them, and some major gen-ed classes have about 80-100 people. These low numbers make picking the right set even more crucial. First of all, do you want to sit in the front or back of the class? A lot of us want to tell ourselves to sit in the front the first week because its a new semester and we actually want to be good students. However, if you get stuck in the front, prepare to be in the top 85% of people called on, and FORGET about ever doing anything but paying attention to the teacher, or else you will be the first person to get called out. Those two things ideas are enough for me not to want to sit in the front of the room. Also, I like putting my feet on the back on peoples desks if we're in a classroom, so the front doesn't really cut it for me.

Do you want to sit in the back? It might be a safer bet than the front for some people who like to observe the action more than being in it. There will be people to hide behind, you are most likely to be safe straying from the notes on your laptop and going on your phone, but, you might become one of the suspicious students to the teacher if you do that too often. If you are planning to sit in the back, however, you need to make sure to check the syllabus to see how much, if anything, class participation is worth. If you isolate yourself in the back and class participation is part of the grade, you might just be screwing yourself. Also, if you're like me and have to go to the bathroom during class, you have to get up and walk past EVERYONE on your way out, and then squeeze your way though EVERYONE on your way back in. It's just something to think about. I personally like sitting in the back because I don't like people looking at me or my laptop screen during class, and I like to be able to see everything.

The middle is always kind of safe bet. You're somewhere in between all and none of the action. You only get a little bit of the extremes from the front and the back. The middle is especially nice in the sides, like the middle left side of the room, or the middle right side of the room. A lot of people who don't know where to go usually try to non-awkwardly settle down in the middle. However, sometimes the middle can be a bit of a danger zone. You have to make sure you can see past the possibly big head of the person in front of you, and make sure the person behind you isn't the asshole who taps their pen on the desk the whole class, or chews gum in your ear like a cow, or doesn't do that annoying thing where they bounce their feet up and down on your desk (don't worry, I'm not one of those people). It has it's ups and downs, just like the front and the back does.

These are all just some simple considerations that should cross your mind when you enter that room on the first day of class and are left to determine your fate. I know that when the first day of classes for me comes, I'm going straight to the back on the side with a door closest to a bathroom (because my poor little bladder can't always make through and entire class). Where will you be sitting?

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

198200
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

19641
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

461472
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

28636
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments