I was almost late for my first class.
I had left home on time but I was lost on the huge campus and none of the students I stopped to ask for directions seemed to know the location of my building. I eventually found it a couple of minutes before my class was due to start.
I hate being late. Back in France, if you were late for class, you could be sure you’d be singled out and made fun of. My best friend, who was never on time, was a n excuses specialist. My Chinese teacher would always ask her stand up in front of the class and make her explain in Chinese why she was late — I bet she still remember how to say “对不起，我又迟到了” (“sorry, I’m late again” in Chinese), even though she probably hasn’t spoken the language in eight years.
I took a seat in the class and waited. The teacher was himself an hour late. I guess a few minutes wouldn’t have mattered, then.
The way people behave in class never cease to amaze me. The macroeconomic class I took this summer was quite small. My best guess is we were about forty students, in a normal classroom, not an amphitheater. Therefore, we were all sat pretty close and the teacher was right in front of us.
I soon realized being late apparently didn’t matter. Students would arrive ten, twenty minutes late, sometimes carrying their bikes with them to class, and sit down without excusing themselves. The teacher himself was late for almost each class, muttering that the campus was to big every time he stepped into the class, visibly out of breath.
But not only students were late, it was also apparently okay to get up in the middle of the class to go to the bathroom or take a phone call. The class was three hours long with a break in the middle, yet it wasn’t enough. Now I agree, the break was pretty short, especially if you had a question for the teacher (and had to have a smoke because between us, macroeconomics isn’t so fun). But I had never seen people getting up, leave and then come back in class before.
I went to an introduction class a few weeks ago. A few minutes into it, it became apparent that I would have a conflict of schedule since there were mandatory discussion groups in addition of the class that had not been mentioned on the official schedule. I decided to wait the break to leave, since I wasn’t going to take the class. Five minutes after the teach laid out the main requirements for the class (a research project, two tests), students just left. And when I said students left, just imagine a packed amphitheaters where at least 75% of the people take their stuffs and walk to the door, while the teacher is still mid-sentence! Okay… so apparently I wasn’t the only one dropping that class.
This seem to be a local trend: whenever the class is boring, whenever students have something to do or whenever they simply don’t care, they leave the class. No matter when, no matter how. In France, when the class was boring, we would be equally impolite, I guess: we would chat, pass notes to each other, draw on a piece of paper or just daydream. Yet, no one would ever dream of leaving the class — that is, if you ever wanted to attend the class again. It would be seen as extremely impolite and the professor wouldn’t hesitate to single the poor soul out.
But the atmosphere in class is very relax in Canada. Almost too much for my liking. For example, students eat: not stuffs like cereal bars because they are hungry and after all, it’s been a long day. No, they eat their meal in class. I sat by a women who ate a Subway sandwich during my last class. Weird. A lot of students also bring their laptop and almost none of them use them to take note. I know, I’m sitting in the back and I can see the screen. MSN, cooking recipes, social medias… this has nothing to do with the class, does it? I mean, it’s not like they bother anyone, but why would you show up for class if you don’t plan to listen, since most of the lectures are not compulsory?
Attending university in Canada is slowly turning into a sociological experience for me!
Wow. Get up and walk out of class is so cool. That way you are not going to listen to something that is of no use to you and u get to use your time for something useful.
Salut Zhu,
This is so interesting. You see,there are always things that you are learning “hands on” as an expat. Ne have had the University experience in France.
It’s true that in North America, classes are very informal.It must have shocked you to see people coming in & out,arriving late,easting,etc. It doesn’t surprise me one bit. I hated the classes that were in the Auditorium, where the Prof needed a mike. Very inpersonal and hard to concentrate at times.
You hang in there !
Bises.
.-= barbara´s last blog ..Every cloud… =-.
Luckily my classes in France are rather small – between 10 and 15 students each and they’re not lecture classes so the students must come and work on the computers for the entire class period. But I’ve heard how horrible students are in big lecture classes. I would prefer for them to just leave like Americans or Canadians do instead of chatting and interrupting the class! If I ever have to teach a cours magistral with tons of students, I would definitely kick students out for talking when I’m talking.
I hated those huge amphitheater classes with 100 people when I was in college in the US. So many students didn’t pay attention or slept or played on their laptops instead of paying attention to the lecture. I guess they think if they show up they will still learn something even if they don’t pay attention?
.-= Jennie´s last blog ..Summer to Fall to Christmas in One Week =-.
The one with the laptop is me! Back in University some prof will say no laptop and some will say don’t ever be late. I had profs who ridiculed people when they arrive late and some simply don’t care. I never leave a class unless it’s really boring…and that’s why the laptop is there for. I chat and take notes at the same time :p
Students just show up whenever they want and leave whenever they want…occasionally a prof will make a comment about it but since they’re not taking attendance then who cares?
Some profs are so boring and monotone that you wish you can dig your head in the sand…Good luck on your new semester.
P.S.
Correction: I know I’m late again is written wrong. :p You wrote I know it again.
Cheers.
Ah, that usually is the case with classes that are huge, at least here in Buffalo. I hated being a teaching assistant to those auditorium classes, since it was very impersonal, and the students just didn’t care for the classes, and like you said, did several things that were unrelated to the class. Fortunately, when I was teaching a class of my own, I would only have thirty students, and I would always engage the students in discussion, so there’s no time to chit-chat and do something different from the class material.
But yet you are right, classroom etiquette here is more relaxed in North America than in other parts of the world. People can eat meals, use their cellphones, and just stand up and leave in the middle of the session.
.-= Linguist-in-Waiting´s last blog ..1000 Posts =-.
What a crazy classroom experience! Never occurred in the good old days (!) when I was at university. And I must say, that wasn’t what my boys experienced while attending university (most recent grad – last spring).
I’m do believe more respect for both the professor and the other students is in order.
.-= Beth´s last blog ..Building Castles… =-.
I agree, that sounds a little too relaxed for my tastes. I’m all for a relaxed atmosphere, but too me it’s important to respect people who are talking and trying to teach a lesson. Same goes for the teacher, they should respect the students’ time and presence. It goes both ways.
.-= Seb´s last blog ..Boxing Bear =-.
Arriving late or leaving early was not acceptable when I was in college. Of course that was almost 50 years ago. Do you suppose that made a difference?
.-= Tulsa Gentleman´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday =-.
Wow… I want to be a student AGAIN ! 🙂
.-= Sidney´s last blog .. =-.
ahh university days. aren’t they wonderful.
if i was in class with you. i’d pass you a note.
maybe a funny drawing. and i’d share my subway with you.
.-= Seraphine´s last blog ..Another One of Life’s Shining Moments =-.
I know exactly what you are talking about but I thought it was just in Norway. When i was young I would never even think of being late, if you were late you often couldn’t even enter the class. Things are totally different now. I also always stayed to the end of my classes, I am just now finished with a 5 year study period, and I still stayed to the end, even when I witnessed masses of students leaving in the middle of a session. Maybe I am getting old, but I feel like students are so self centered now. They take what they want and leave. I think about the poor professor which is left teaching a half empty classroom. I have to admit I still think there is something valuable in commitment and respect for others. After all I did enroll in the school to learn.
.-= DianeCA´s last blog ..Autumn foilage photo hunt =-.
@Nigel – I guess so, but education is still important and I think most people just don’t want to take the time to listen and learn.
@barbara – These informal classes are fairly new to me. In France, a lot of us never attended the classes but those who would go actually paid attention.
@Jennie – I think you are right on: some students must think that if they show up, knowledge will somehow get to their brain! 😆
@Bluefish – Oh, I know, sometimes I wish I were somewhere else – some classes are boring! My laptop is old so I can’t take it, the battery wouldn’t last 20 min.
I have to correct the Chinese, I was tired when I typed it 😉
@Linguist-in-Waiting – The etiquette is more relax, for sure. It’s surprising to me but it is blog material after all 😆
@Beth – Really? Maybe it’s just my classes then. Anyhow, I find it weird.
@Seb – Same here, I don’t mind joking with the teacher but I mean, I do come to learn something…
@Tulsa Gentleman – I guess it did change!
@Sidney – I actually kind of difficult sometimes… you feel like you don’t fit in.
@Seraphine – I would love to seat by you. I would never be bored, I’m sure!
@DianeCA – Oh, so it is like that in Norway too! Maybe it’s a global trend then…
This made me laugh out loud. I can’t believe how rude these students are! Of course I’ve seen people get up and leave in the middle of class and come back, and I will confess to having left class to take an important phone call once (only once! and it was a really important phone call!). I do agree with the laptop problem, can’t even tell you how many kids I’ve seen on Facebook during class, or how many cell phones ring during class. My biggest pet peeve though is when everyone starts packing up to leave at the end of class before the professor has stopped lecturing. It’s so rude! The professor is still standing there talking and half the class will be putting away their pens and notebooks and getting out of their chairs.
Keep these coming!
.-= Soleil´s last blog ..The Cast of Characters =-.
IMO, leaving the class half way is very rude, which is totally unacceptable in Asian societies, which stress on respect for the elderly, parents, and teachers. Even if we find the classes boring, we shouldn’t just leave like that. Imagine what the lecturer/professor would feel given that awkward situation. We shouldn’t always think of ourselves – try to put ourselves in the professor’s shoes – how would you like if half the class (or maybe more) do exactly the same to you? Definitely not a sweet experience. 尊师敬老，somehow is a teaching lost in times…
.-= kyh´s last blog ..A day at aunt’s =-.
Wow!
Hey Zhu,
They can just get up and leave? Interesting…
Nope, in Europe you know that we cannot do that: if you’re late, its’ a mess (and the teacher will write a note on you – specially to penalize you by lowering your grade); and if you leave the room without permission…oh boy…you might fail!
But it is always interesting to learn new habits :D!
Cheers
.-= Max Coutinho´s last blog ..The Lusosphere: East Timor =-.
hahahahahaha!! Zhu you make me laugh so hard and at the same time I am looking at how much I changed. I remember in my first class when the professor asked a question, I stood up to answer it. It was weird! Now I sit, sometimes unshaven, wearing my hat, eating my full meal, chatting on laptop or reading blogs (like right now). I think it also has to do with the professors – they have nothing to do with the students. They come, teach and go. 🙂
.-= Priyank´s last blog ..Linguistic delights of Toronto =-.
Yes, that’s a bit unusual. Even in Ireland they don’t leave the room in the middle of a lecture, although it’s quite common at the beginning if they suddenly change their mind.
Laptops are also getting more popular here. Some students actually use them to take notes (I suppose they think it’s handy to then copy and paste when they have to write essays, thus the bad marks – I know about it I’m the one who marks!). I was quite bothered though the day a student had his laptop at one of my tutorials, I had to ask him twice to put it away, explaining that it was a place for interaction. However, that wasn’t as bad as the time a student felt asleep in front of me, I didn’t even know how to react!
Em
.-= Em´s last blog ..Rain and Snow =-.