College classroom etiquette?

Question

Is there a particular etiquette for college classrooms. Like, when sitting, is it okay to put your recline your foot on your other knee? Or hold your feet on the chair if you're cold, etc. How should one act in a college environment? Nonchalant, overly interested? By the way, I don't have a personality.

Answer 1

Turn off your cell, no iPod c**p, and just sit comfortably wherever you want!  Act interested and pipe up once in a while!  You will be fine!

Answer 2

Don't break wind too often.

Answer 3

Just remember to turn off your cell phone, and do not talk during the lecture (trust me this can get embarassing if the teacher calls you out on it).  But sit however you are comfortable and just pay attention.

Answer 4

You'll be fine....ask questions, take notes.  Don't talk to your neighbors, don't sleep, don't flip through magazines, don't have your cell phone turned on, don't leave the classroom in the middle of lecture, unless you are very ill, don't yell out "that's a stupid question" when someone asks a question, leave your pets and children at home...think that about covers it......facing new freshmen next week....(college psychology professor)

Answer 5

Of course you have a personality! College classrooms are a bit more serious than high school classes. Don't worry about the way you sit, but don't talk to other students during class, don't text messages. Keep your cell phone off. Just sit and listen, take notes and look at the instructor once in a while. It is not all that different from high school, only quieter during class time. One other important thing to remember is not to interrupt the instructor during lectures or presentation of the material being taught.

Answer 6

Some colleges and teachers are more formal than others. If you're at a big state university or a casual college, sit any way you want. At some religious colleges or in an MBA program, you may need to act more circumspectly or professionally. There's nothing wrong with asking the professor what's okay re sitting, etc.

Looking attentive and interested is of course very rewarding for the teacher. This can only help build a good relationship, and you will want to get close to a few teachers for references, possibly a graduate student assistantship, etc. Overdoing it may just make you look like a suckup, however. If you're really bored or out of it at times, don't worry about that too much. Teachers are used to seeing that, and to an extent it's feedback for them. If everyone sleeps through their lectures, they need to improve their lectures.

You DO have a personality - everyone does. You don't have to put on one like a mask, though some people do. Just be respectful and courteous, and when you disagree, state your view constructively rather than being argumentative, and you should be fine. (That said, some people are always argumentative, pushing back at what a professor says, and they may even be loved for it. But that's a talent, so unless it comes naturally, don't attempt that.)