Picture this: you’re sitting in class, the professor is droning on and on and you’re just starting to doze off, letting your daydreams take over when you hear it. It’s the slightest noise, barely noticeable. But then you hear it again, and again, and before you know it you’re sitting on the edge of your seat cringing because—seriously? Do they really need to be chewing that loudly? Can’t they just put that pen down?
Everybody has those sounds that really get under their skin, and when you’re sitting in class it only gets worse. If you haven’t noticed any yet, then you’re lucky. But here’s a list of the top 5 classroom mannerisms that get on everyone’s nerves, especially mine.
1. Pen tapping.
This is a big one, because how could something so small be so irritating? And there’s such a range of possible ways for this little guy to cause such a powerful noise. It could be tapped against a desk. Or it could be clicked in rapid succession. Regardless, it’s one of the most annoying sounds known to man and needs to be brought to a very, very quick end.
2. Sniffling
Whether it’s cold and flu season, or just an average day at college, someone is bound to be sick. And while I’m just as sensitive as the next person, I can’t help but cringe every time I hear the sound of someone sniffling. It’s a loud, sharp sound that is inescapable. Get some tissues or take some medicine, please.
3. Coming in late
This one may sound silly. Someone coming in late doesn’t really seem like it could affect you, and at the end of the day it doesn’t really. But I know that I have to get to class on time, so why don’t you? Especially if it’s a continuous thing, it turns into a matter of respect that can start to get under anyone’s skin.
4. Incessant questions
We all know that kid that sits in class with their hand constantly raised. The professor barely has time to open their mouths before they are being bombarded with questions. And most of the time, they are the most useless questions that they’d get the answers to if they just let the teacher speak! Let the professors do their job and we will all be in a much happier place.
5. When other students try to teach the class
This one closely relates to the constant questioning, but in a far more irritating way. These people take it upon themselves to try and correct the professor, or butt in as soon as the professor states a fact, and they are the first ones to chime in when the professor poses a question to the class. Only most of the time, these people are rattling off facts that are either incorrect, or just plain irrelevant! It’s one thing to be involved, but it’s another thing to try and be the teacher.
Regardless of where you are or where you go to school, these are things that everyone can relate to. Everyone has had this experience, everyone has wanted to get up and just scream in frustration because of a noise, or a behavior that just makes your skin crawl. But now that you’re aware of it, maybe you will be ready the next time you experience one of these habits.
Unfortunately, this isn’t something we can get away from. And these habits are all around us. But out of all the habits out there, these, in my opinion, are the most cringe-worthy of them all.