Mastering College Lecture Etiquette: Essential Tips for Students

One of the things every student will have to get used to in college is a full lecture hall. When so many young people are packed in a small place, you can’t help but need to follow some unwritten rules to keep the situation under control. Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of those rules, but it doesn’t mean that you would want to become one of those annoying students.

Follow these tips and you’ll have a peaceful time in a lecture hall

Don’t Sit at the Edge

…unless all other seats are taken. You might have ended up in a situation when you arrive at a lecture hall and see lots of free seats, but all of them are blocked by people sitting at the aisle. Then you need to ask them to stand up or, even worse, climb over them just to reach a dozen of empty seats behind them. The seats at the beginning of each row are only for those who arrive last or need to leave first. If you belong to the latter, claim your seat in advance but don’t sit down before everyone else is in.

Don’t Be Messy

All you need in class is a notebook and a pen, maybe something to drink. All other things you put out are likely to cause some looks thrown in your direction. Things like chips bags, numerous highlighters or five different notebooks will only clutter your space and make yours and everyone else’s lives more difficult.

Be Aware of What You’re Browsing

Many students prefer to take notes on their laptops, but some would bring them just to scroll through their social media and other questionable websites. If you’re on your laptop, be aware of the fact that a whole dozen of students sitting behind you in a lecture hall can see your screen very clearly. Try to avoid showing anything too personal in such environment because you never know who’s watching you. And after all, pay attention to the professor.

Sleep in the Right Places

And by the right place, we mean your own bed. Or at least some bed, but not a seat in a lecture hall. If you feel like you’re going to doze off, don’t attend the class at all. You’ll do your professor a favor, and it will also be beneficial for you because if you sleep longer now, you’ll be more energized later and much more ready for another class.

Don’t Leave Drinks on the Floor

Unless you have a sealed bottle of water, don’t leave anything that can be spilled on the floor. It might seem like a good idea when everyone is sitting, but the moment the lecture is over, your drink will most likely be knocked down and spilled all over the place. The best option is to leave uncovered drinks out of a lecture hall altogether.

We hope these tips will help you to figure out the unwritten rules of lecture etiquette and avoid getting into troubles and troubling others.