Classroom Etiquette

One of the most important things for college is the new code of etiquette for college lectures. It's very different from high school but still important for making sure that your professor has a good opinion of you.

Here's my guide to lectures and college classes, how you should behave in lecture. The advice will go through cellphones, bathroom breaks, sleeping and more.

• going to the bathroom

At my high school, we had passes to go to the bathroom. It was very embarrassing: students had to get the teacher's attention and signature in a pass book to go to the bathroom. Even worse, for each class, you were only allowed to go to the bathroom twice a semester. 

Fortunately, college lectures allow you to go to the bathroom whenever you want. It is of course preferable to go before or after class, but in the case of emergencies it's easy to slide off during a lull. Many professors even have a mid-lecture break if allotted more than an hour. 

In my mind, there's no shame in needing to use the bathroom and I don't much care if students or professors judge me for drinking lots of water and then needing to use the restroom. Your body needs what your body needs.

• eating and drinking

Eating is really up to the professor. Some professors will make clear at the start of class their policy on eating, especially if it's verboten. Most don't mind students drinking water or coffee during a morning class along with a quiet granola bar. Evening classes tend to be quite lax about food policies, often expecting students to eat. For example, my Monday evening class goes from 7 pm - 10 pm so the professor told us on the first lecture that food was alright.

I'd personally suggest something you can pick up and put down while taking notes. As always, try to eat quietly without making a mess. Nachos for example are a bad idea: loud and messy salsa. Foods without strong odors are considerate of the people around you. 

• sleeping

Of course you shouldn't be sleeping in class. But we all have moments where we dose off during a particularly dull lecture due to a late night cramming. 

If you expect to be falling asleep, consider skipping the class. There's nothing to be gained from sleeping through a lecture; it may even reflect worse on you than missing one lecture. If you decide to attend and sleep through, sit in the back of the class. There's nothing worse for you and others than being the student snoring in the front row. 

If you absolutely don't want to fall asleep but may fall to temptation, have a friend or seat mate periodically tap you to wake you up. It may be a little embarrassing to ask a stranger sitting next to you for a favor, but that embarrassment may also keep you from falling asleep.

• cellphone

Put your cell phone on silent during lecture.

Let me repeat that: Cell phones should be on silent during class.

This isn't high school; no one's going to confiscate your phone. But everyone will turn to look at you, especially if you have a hilarious song for your ring tone.

Personally, I suggest putting your cell phone on your lap during lecture so that you can check the time without loudly rummaging through your bag. If the professor has a no cell phone policy, turn your phone off and leave it in your bag to totally minimize the temptation. 

• laptops

Most professors have a clear policy on laptops. If they're allowed, try not to drift off topic while using them; some professors will walk around the room in order to get a view of your laptop.

If laptops aren't allowed, they're really not allowed. Don't bring them. 

• late/leaving

If you are entering late or leaving early, try to do so respectfully. If you know in advance, send the professor an email before the lecture to apologize and explain. If it's just a case of sleeping in, enter the room quietly and accept the fact that you may have to settle for a seat in the back. If you need to interrupt other students' view or the position of the lecturer to get when you need to be, wait until a natural pause. 

For important reasons to leave, pack your bag quickly and quietly. Often it's easier to dump everything in your bag and reorganize outside of the lecture hall rather than deal with the dirty looks from students trying to take notes.

Unlike high school, it's normal that you have other commitments and most college classes don't take attendance. There's no need to feel terrible for a few late entries or early leavings so long as you are considerate of others. Most likely a professor won't remember the one time a student shows up late so long as there wasn't a scene. Don't sweat it. Just be polite.

• chatting

Whisper. To. The. Person. Next. To. You.

Stop talking when lecture starts. There's nothing that professors hate more than not being able to start their lecture on time because of people obliviously chatting. Take note of the time and quiet down when lecture is supposed to start; it's for your own good to make sure that the prof gets through all the material. I've had a few professors who have put material that wasn't covered in lecture on exams because they blamed chatty Cathys for not making it through the information in class. Don't be that kid.

Do not yell to the person across the room. Don't pass notes. Don't constantly text. These are the other things that professors notice.


If you have questions, you are super welcome to comment so that we can share our experiences and advice.

Fresh Plants and Flowers

I love spring time. I love the way the weather warms up and then takes the time for little spring showers to cool down. We should all take the time to slow down. Going on long walks helps me to breath in that fresh air that gives so much life to everything. Keeping live plants at my desk really warms up my study space, but I sometimes want flowers along with my leafy green. I want to bring into my room more of the spring that is around me.

I've been getting cut flowers to keep in my room. Read more to see the flowers that I've been getting and hear about my experience.



I adored having these flowers in my room. I don't know what it is exactly about flowers that makes my mood soar, but there is something. If I could figure out what it was, I'd bottle it up and use it for every day.

I get flowers at either the grocery store or at the florist. Fortunately, I have coupons for the florist. For those of you worried about cost, most cut flowers last about for one or two weeks. By changing the water regularly with sugar added in, you can extend the flower's lifespan to a tad over two weeks.

My one warning would be that cut flowers have pollen in them. That might seem obvious, but if you have allergies it could be a problem, especially in a small room. Ask the florist which flowers don't have too much pollen.

Mini Update: Packing

Heya,

I've been packing to productive procrastinate on my last final and paper. I turned in two papers earlier this week. Just not feeling this last paper happening.

It's funny how everyone has taken a very "it's almost over; i don't even care" attitude for these last two weeks. Spring semester, man; it's been tough on all of us here in Boston. I should have a post on that after the 24th!

Sorry but, no full updates until after the 24th.

<3

End of Term

It's absolutely amazing to think that it's the end of the semester. Next year I will be a junior! There are so many exciting things to talk about: an exciting summer job, studying for exams, packing for a return to Virginia.

Due to finals there won't be any more posts until after May 24th, when I return to Virginia. After that, I will return to schedule.

Read more for my thoughts on the end of term and summer plans.

Semester Wrap Up: Academics

To think that I'm half-way through my college career is crazy. I just can't believe it; it feels like the time is flying past me. Truth: college takes a lot of sustained work and concentrated dedication. I've felt the wear down of the year when winter was in its coldest, but as the weather warmed up so did I. Not to mention the lift that my floor mates and friends provided. I'm intensely grateful for the friends that I've made. For them and myself, I want to keep up the effort and the energy for the next two years, staying focused on making myself happy and learning rather than weakly stumbling through.

Finals are something that I start prepping for at the start of May, so I'm not drowning in cramming. However there was a major surprise from MIT about Random Hall going through construction and Bexley being closed for the next couple of years. This threw me off schedule for studying. I have a take home exam, a final, and two papers to write. Most of my things are organized to be packed up. Taking the time to pack up also means taking the time to purge my room of things I don't adore. For the summer, I'm going to be storing my things at a paid storage facility; thankfully, MIT should be covering this cost.

Gratitude: The Year as a Gift

There's so much that I'm grateful for, even as I struggle through finals and packing and all the things that come with the wrap up of the year. The winding down of the year puts so many things into perspective. My low points this year are also a way to get back down to my foundation.

So many opportunities and knowledge have come to me, but through this year my goal has been to acknowledge these opportunities as a gift. No one is owed anything so to be gifted kindness, knowledge, and kinship is something really valuable. Easy to overlook, but difficult to find. I've been focusing on improving myself, reading and breathing to appreciate what I have.

This year, every day of it, has been a gift. Low points and high points are part of the process of living; I want to appreciate them as an opportunity for growth and self-possesion.

Upcoming Summer: Work and Play

My summer job is an internship with the Smithsonian American Art. Link through to read about the summer program internship for SI American Art. I'm so excited for this amazing opportunity. There's no way for me to express how much it means to me to be stepping forward toward my dream of working in a museum, to be working with art and towards the purpose of preservation, outreach, and education. I adore the Smithsonian and can basically guarantee that I'll spend my summer gushing about it. If you're also interested in this type of work: Check out the Smithsonian's page for summer internships. 

I'm thinking of getting a part time work-from-home job since the Smithsonian internship isn't paid. I'd like to have something to give me a little bit of spending money and some savings to start off my junior year.

For play, I'm going to be having some of my college friends over. I've already got the full plans for a friend coming over for Otakon! Link to read about Otakon, an amazing anime convention in Baltimore, Maryland. This summer will be my third year attending. Another friend may be dropping by sometime during the summer since she fell a bit in love with Virginia after visiting for Thanksgiving.Also, I'm considering going to see Motion City Soundtrack for their concert July 9th at Virginia Beach.

Summer Blogging

With an increased amount of free time, I want to work on my blog. I really want to step it up to the next level. My goals are to create a banner, signature, line break, and maybe even  an extra feature for each week. I'd really like to work on my graphic design and art; utilizing that toward the blog would give me a good schedule and motivation.

I would also like to get back into Youtube and creating videos. It's something that I've always enjoyed but don't seem to block out time for.

If there's anything you want to see in the blog or from me in general, please let me know!

Positivity: Spring walks

Moving into May, the weather is finally cooperating with me. I've retired my winter jacket for the year, and brought out some bright spring clothes. More than just revamping my wardrobe, I've been revamping my everyday routines.

For positivity, I've been focusing on walking around in the fresh spring weather.

Read more to welcome spring with me.

Bring Spring Indoors

The key to embracing spring is being out in spring. It starts with opening the windows and buying some fresh fruit. Then I move on to getting fresh flowers. But the real key, the thing that really makes me feel a brighter way, is walking outside.

Look Around Outside

Of course, enjoying your walk outside requires you to look around. Don't just be a member of the fading city in Phantom Tollbooth; look up from your feet while you walk. You don't have to smile at anybody if you don't want to.

Just enjoy the space that you're walking through. If you love your city, appreciate the architecture and bustling people. If you hate your city, look up at the sky and focus on the landscaping. If you love your rural campus, enjoy the wide greens and trees. If you hate the rural, walk around campus close to most of the buildings and guess how many floors each building has.

I used to hate the construction work outside of the Metropolitan Storage, but I started to laugh about it. Seeing the building get cleaner and fresher was what I focused on rather than the dust raining down. Take a different point of view.

Create an Outdoor Routine

Add walks to the everyday routine. Instead of walking across campus inside, I choose to take the outdoor path. If you carpool or ride the subway, try biking for a week. Try walking to the next stop on the route if you take the bus or subway, just to get in a little walking.

Sometimes the outdoor route is a longer route than the "inside" a car/building/subway route. The weather's not guaranteed to be a pleasant 73 degree for your walk so make sure you check to have a the right gear for the weather.

Spring into Adventure

But each walk always gives me a little bit of a smile. It's the risk of rain that makes each morning a little adventure. Walking outside is amazing for your happiness level and relaxation.

Room Mate Problems: Never-ending Alarm Clock

I think one of my favorite things when having break fast in the kitchen is hearing all the alarm clocks go off. It's almost like a morning bird song.

However, this becomes a lot less enjoyable when it's coming from your roommate's alarm clock when you want to sleep. Some people forget about their alarm clocks, leaving the alarm blaring while they're at class. Others simply struggle to wake up, snoozing for hours without considering the effect of their alarm on others.

Whatever the reason, if your roommate's alarms is impacting your morning ZZZs, here are some ways to approach your roommate so both of you can rest and wake up well.

Talk to your roommate

My first suggestion would be talking to your roommate about the problem. I'm always amazed by the way freshmen expect their roommate to magically know what they want. Take the time to talk to your roommate about your concern. Instead of getting directly at your needs, try to be a little friendlier about it. Pose it as a benefit to them.

For example:

"Hey, I noticed that you seem to be having trouble waking up in the morning. Is everything alright? Is it hell week for you?"

"I'm taking a stress management class and there's a section on sleeping. Sometimes your alarm clock goes off more than once. Would you want to read the section on relaxing wake up routines? "

"I'm trying this new alarm clock app on my phone; it does a gradient of sound to wake you up slowly. Do you want to try it? I hear you struggling to wake up sometimes and this might be worth a shot.

Comments like these are generally enough to draw attention to irritating behavior. Most considerate roommates would try out your advice, making an effort not to wake you up with their alarm.

In the case that talking to your room mate doesn't work, there's still a few things you can do.

Alarm after leaving

If the problem is that your roommate leaves their alarm on after leaving, suggest that they invest in an alarm that stops snoozes after an hour. Try reminding them the night before to turn off their alarm rather than just snoozing them. If it seems clear that your roommate isn't going to break their rude habit, ask your roommate to show you how to turn off their alarm.

Do not unplug their alarm. Unplugging their alarm will only irritate them and make them dislike you.

Can't wake up alarm

If your roommate just doesn't wake up, suggest a bed time for the room. With a set time that both of you are expected to be asleep, the roommate will likely be better rested and more easily woken.

Suggest trying a different alarm. I've noticed that having the same alarm for too long means that I learn how to turn it off or ignore it while still asleep. If you feel comfortable, offer to wake up your roommate.

No solution?

Try getting ear plugs if the problem persists.

Maybe your roommate has ignored all of your suggestions. It may suck to have to "give in" to your roommate on your extra minutes of sleep, but the alarm clock problem is fairly trivial. There are far worse roommate problems to have; stealing, for example.

If it really is bothering you and you absolutely can't abide ear plug, talk to your floor's RA or GRT. They can probably talk to your roommate to help them understand why this is so important to you.

Positivity: Spring Refresh

I want to see how my new year's resolutions have been going, possibly recommitting on the ones that aren't doing as well on.

Read more for the break down on how I've been doing!

• Draw Every Day

I haven't been doing so well on this. But I have been drawing more often than last semester. I'm even nearly through with my sketch book. Overall, I think that this goal might need to be broken down a little bit more so that I can measure my progress on it.

• Blog Post Weekly

I have been doing this. In fact, I've been blogging twice weekly. I think that I may step it up to three times a week in a month or so. Blogging is really rewarding and works well with my self reflection. While I may not have a lot of readers now, I feel accountable writing down what I have and haven't done.

• Work Out

This semester I'll be taking a yoga and pilates class this term. I'm a little worried about the pilates, but I'll have a friend with me. I'm going to be trying to attend the Friday Concourse Yoga. I tried to have a work out buddy for working out in my dorm, but we were stymied by conflicting schedules, so I may just work out on my own in the Z-center.

• Cook and Pack Lunches

I've actually been been staying in the dorm for lunch, so I haven't been having to pack up. I do think that I should be cooking more. It'll be easier to do this as the weather warms up and grocery shopping becomes less of a chore.

• Confidence Increase

Maybe my confidence has increased. Seems like I am more content with myself, most likely due to the self reflection I've been focusing on. I feel much happier with the choices that I've been making, especially since it seems like I'm moving closer to my goal.

• Morning Yoga

Not too well on this resolution. I'm going to re-commit to this for the spring. I think this will also help with the difficulty I have getting out of bed. This links back to the working out resolution, so hopefully they'll rise together. 

• Talk to Ivanna x2 weekly

I have been doing very well on this. I write a letter every week and usually make a phone call or text throughout the week. To step up the commitment, I want to start taking a photo once a week to text to her which would also work well for blogging.

• Drink 8 cups of water / day

While I may not be all the way up to 8 cups a day, I have consistently been drinking water before going the sleep and right after waking up. I think I'm averaging 6 cups a day, focused in the evening. To be quite honest, I feel like I need to drink far more than 8 cups a day. 

• Keep My Room Clean

Victory! My room has actually been getting cleaner and neater. I emptied and condensed a number of things, leading to less clutter overall. If I can keep this up for the spring, I may reward myself by buying another small dresser for my beauty supplies and pajamas.

Overall, I feel that I've been doing well on my new year's resolutions. I am adding a few more resolutions, stepping it up a little bit.

Drifting From Your Values: Safe Space

When you go to college, it may be the first time that you encounter opinions radically different from your own. At the very least, college will likely be the first time that you don't have your home to return to; your parents and their support network likely won't be there in your dorm room to reassure you after a day of facing unfamiliar values. Losing that safe recuperating space can be really tough and stressful to deal with, especially when you want to replenish yourself.

Here are some ideas to find a safe space to refocus on your values.

Your room

Talk to your roommate to make sure that your room is a good place to recoup after a day. Having a safe place to return to refresh yourself and your values is really important. For example, if you don't agree with the college party scene, talk to your roommate about not playing loud house music late at night. Or if you don't believe in premarital sex, talk to your roommate about respecting your blissful ignorance of the sex when she "sexiles" you.

Recognize that you're not going to get everything you want from your roommate. Likely, the two of you will come to a compromise that isn't perfect but better than none at all.

Safe Spaces on Campus

If your room can't be a safe space, see if you can find a safe space on campus. A lot of colleges have women only safe spaces. There are also LGBTQ friendly spaces cropping up in more and more campuses; it's so great to see this time of progress. For religious folk, your faith probably has an area church and your campus probably has an interfaith chapel.  You can read this Tech article about the value of the MIT Women's Lounge. MIT also has the Rainbow Lounge.

Library 

I often find that reserving library study room for a few hours of self-contemplation is a good way to refresh and recenter myself. Sometimes I bring a book that describes my values; other times I just think about what has been drifting me from what I want to do. It's a very difficult process to return to what you hold in your heart when everyone else seems to be doing something different.

You may have a different group of friends, with different values, from different places. I know that I felt encouraged to try things I'd never even heard of before coming to MIT; some of the things I ended up really liking, while others I absolutely hated.