We can’t help it. We all have someone in at least one of our classes who, to put it frankly, bugs the crap out of us. Whether it is saying incredibly off topic things and asking irrelevant questions, or saying things to the professor just to prove they know things, there’s someone who puts you on edge wherever you go, and the college classroom is no exception.
So what to do?
It’s hard to just sit and ignore it. I personally can’t help but roll my eyes (as long as the person is in front of me, where they can’t see me). But this isn’t productive, and will just alienate your classmates.
It’s important to realize that other people learn differently than you. While it might seem like they’re moving to a new subject for no reason, perhaps they have a perfectly logical reason to ask that question. And maybe they say seemingly obvious things because they didn’t understand, while it might seem natural to you. And the person who talks just to talk and show off, they’re gunning for that participation grade, and this class is clearly important to them.
It’s tough in the moment when people bug you and seemingly take you off course of your learning path, and it can be hard to think of these things when you’re already in a high-stress environment. But take it from me, it doesn’t help any more to sit grinding your teeth, hoping someone else calls them out so you don’t have to be confrontational.
Having to learn while being conscious of other people’s pace is tough, but it’s something you have to do if you want to thrive in a college setting, and really anywhere else. Try to relax, which isn’t to say you can’t vent about it later to your friends.