University Etiquette

[Miriam]

I don't know how many are students or still in school, but I'm growing concerned over the growing trend of etiquette faux pas or basic lack of manners. This is also my first post (after being a longtime reader and fan) so hopefully many can understand where this is coming from.

1. Most of our lecture classes are full to the brim, I'm talking a good 100+ students in their seats. Each class is separated to end 10 minutes before the next lecture is to start in that class, so you would think we will be able to exit the class safely and have time to spare to walk to our next class. I have noticed lately that when my classmates and I are trying to leave our class, the next wave of students pummel through to get their favorite seats (which are still occupied, I mean the lecture just ended). Is it rude to tell these students to please wait for us to fully exit the one door that we have so we are not trapped while they try to run in? They have a good ten minutes before their class begins, and we cannot go anywhere while they squeeze through the door and try to find empty seats that are still occupied. I have seen several frustrated people yell "Move!" or "Let us through, THEN come in!" and nothing works.

2. In the computer labs I have noticed, as well, that when I am occupied on a desktop working on homework or doing a test I am asked to move because someone has an important e-mail, FB post, or whatever to check. I usually stare and wait for them to figure it out. Computer labs on campus are for academic purposes, wait for after hours to check FB or bring your own laptop. (I am typing this from my own laptop)

3. I also receive e-mails from students requesting someone to make a scanned copy of a homework page in the textbook and send it to them. I totally understand if you're hurting for cash and can't afford the book, but that's why the teachers reserve one in the library that cannot be checked out so it's always there. I send them this information and they are upset I'm not taking my time to copy and send the page to them. Rude?

4. You need headphones for that blasting ipod. Why is it even on? You're in class.

5. Anyone experience a parking lot "vulture"? A person who just parks their car and waits for someone to get out of class and take their space. I wouldn't have a problem with this except our parking lots are one way. I cannot go around you and now someone has pulled up behind me, great, I'm trapped. Thanks vulture.

I may have more. I can't think of any at the present time but I usually discover random incidents during the day or week that make me wonder: bad manners, etiquette faux pas, or just me?

[Black Delphinium]

6)Classrooms are like offices or any other enclosed space. Please: A) shower/bathe regularly, B) do your laundry more often then Fall Break and Christmas, and C) don't think that can of Axe/bottle of Curious will cover up the fact that you haven't been keeping up with either A or B.

[violinp]

7. When in the dining hall, try to move the line along as quickly as possible. There are a lot of people who have to eat in a very short amount of time, so please don't dawdle (This was true at the college I attended, because everyone had to go to chapel, and there were a lot of people who had class, like 15 minutes after chapel).

8. If the prof says "Don't eat," do you really think s/he means "Bring your whole lunch into class! It doesn't matter!"?

9. Don't talk if the prof is playing a movie. We don't usually get that kind of privilege after high school, so take advantage of the fact that you have no work in that class for two days, and BE QUIET. Sheesh.

10. Treat your fellow scholars with respect when they speak, and they will return the favor. No one will listen to you if you snerk and giggle the whole time someone else is talking.

[Miriam]

6)Classrooms are like offices or any other enclosed space. Please: A) shower/bathe regularly, B) do your laundry more often then Fall Break and Christmas, and C) don't think that can of Axe/bottle of Curious will cover up the fact that you haven't been keeping up with either A or B.

Or turn your shirt inside out! It's not fresher 

[Yvaine]

2. In the computer labs I have noticed, as well, that when I am occupied on a desktop working on homework or doing a test I am asked to move because someone has an important e-mail, FB post, or whatever to check. I usually stare and wait for them to figure it out. Computer labs on campus are for academic purposes, wait for after hours to check FB or bring your own laptop. (I am typing this from my own laptop)

Policies on this vary; at the school I went to, there was a hierarchy posted on the walls of the computer labs stating that academic work came first and that recreational users were to cede priority to academic users. But the recreational users could use the school machines if they weren't being used for schoolwork at that moment.

(On the other hand, this was before it was so ubiquitous for students to have their own computer in their dorm or a laptop. The students who had those were considered lucky by the rest of us! Mid-nineties.)

Anyway, I think the rule should at least be that users should follow posted policy, and absent a posted policy, give priority to academic users.

[MrTango]

11) Please don't be offended when the person you've asked to proofread your paper has the audacity to correct your spelling and punctuation.

[Yvaine]

11) Please don't be offended when the person you've asked to proofread your paper has the audacity to correct your spelling and punctuation.

I'll second that! Been there and done that!

[cabbagegirl28]

This relates to residential life as well as general university ettiquette.

12) Don't slam doors at 2 a.m. The people on your hall have class in the morning and want to go to bed.
13) If your school doesn't let you have certain things in the dorm, please don't bring them. Or if you do, don't throw a fit when you're caught with them.
14) If it's illegal, don't keep it in the dorm room. The roommate(s)/suitemate(s) could get in trouble even if they never knew about it.
15) For discussion-based classes, be prepared to actually speak with the rest of the class. It's frustrating to be the only person besides the professor talking for the whole time.
16) Don't say things in class which are disproportionate to what's going on. Not talking in class ≠ putting one's classmates in slavery (actual thing said). That one's just plain offensive, actually, but y'all get the gist.

[lollylegs]

16) Don't say things in class which are disproportionate to what's going on. Not talking in class ≠ putting one's classmates in slavery (actual thing said). That one's just plain offensive, actually, but y'all get the gist.

This. If the lecture's only one hour, your five minute question/story is taking up a good chunk of it. Now I realise that there are classes where real life anecdotes are germane, but generally, even if your story is related to the lecture, save it for a more appropriate forum (e.g. a tutorial, discussion based class, study group, etc.)

[Spoder]

17) The Silent Study Zone of the library is exactly that: SILENT. That notice on the door which says 'Please use other areas of the library unless you plan to be completely silent'? That means *you*. Whispering is not silent. Talking on your cell phone is not silent. Playing your iPod at top volume is not silent: it 'bleeds' out and annoys the person next to you. You have the other 90% of the library to be non-silent in; show some respect for other students who can't concentrate through audible distractions.

18) If you're late to the lecture late, enter via the back door, if there is one. Do not amble (or even run) across in front of the lecturer, distracting everyone else.

19) The lecturer is a person, not a robot. Show them some respect. If you've just sat through a 1- or 2-hour lecture, you can sit through another 30 seconds at the end while they give instructions for the next class, without noisily packing up your stuff or chatting to the student next to you.

[kitty-cat]

20) Don't just all get up and leave EXACTLY when class ends. I'm in a freshman level lecture hall (last gen ed!) and at exactly 5:45 they all start getting up and leaving. I'm in an upper level business lecture hall and everyone waits until the professor dismisses us.

21) Even if you don't like the Greek system, do not disparage it every moment you are on campus- and especially not in front of someone in letters... We don't mind if you don't like us, we do mind when names are called, stereotypes are brought up, and when put down just for being Greek.

22) If you bike on campus, don't run over those that are walking.

[cabbagegirl28]

21) Even if you don't like the Greek system, do not disparage it every moment you are on campus- and especially not in front of someone in letters... We don't mind if you don't like us, we do mind when names are called, stereotypes are brought up, and when put down just for being Greek.

22) If you bike on campus, don't run over those that are walking.

Thank you! I hate both of these things too!

[HorseFreak]

This relates to residential life as well as general university ettiquette.

12) Don't slam doors at 2 a.m. The people on your hall have class in the morning and want to go to bed.

Or what happened in my dorm junior year: Don't run through the hallway at 3 am calling your female roommates "wh0res" at the top of your lungs for 15 minutes at a time. It's not cute or funny.

For RAs: Do your darn job. That means not PARTICIPATING in the vandalism/disruptions/underage drunken stupidity. Some of us are actually enrolled in intense programs and need to study and sleep effectively. And if someone comes to you with an emergency, for example falling out of their 5' lofted bed on their elbow and dislocating it, your job extends a little beyond handing them a cold can of soda and telling them to walk to health services late at night alone if it's "that bad." Many of my RAs were fantastic, but the bad ones were really terrible people. My awesome, enthusiastic friend couldn't get into the program and yet somehow the laziest jerks got positions.

[TeamBhakta]

I don't know how many are students or still in school, but I'm growing concerned over the growing trend of etiquette faux pas or basic lack of manners. This is also my first post (after being a longtime reader and fan) so hopefully many can understand where this is coming from.

1. Most of our lecture classes are full to the brim, I'm talking a good 100+ students in their seats. Each class is separated to end 10 minutes before the next lecture is to start in that class, so you would think we will be able to exit the class safely and have time to spare to walk to our next class. I have noticed lately that when my classmates and I are trying to leave our class, the next wave of students pummel through to get their favorite seats (which are still occupied, I mean the lecture just ended). Is it rude to tell these students to please wait for us to fully exit the one door that we have so we are not trapped while they try to run in? They have a good ten minutes before their class begins, and we cannot go anywhere while they squeeze through the door and try to find empty seats that are still occupied. I have seen several frustrated people yell "Move!" or "Let us through, THEN come in!" and nothing works.

2. In the computer labs I have noticed, as well, that when I am occupied on a desktop working on homework or doing a test I am asked to move because someone has an important e-mail, FB post, or whatever to check. I usually stare and wait for them to figure it out. Computer labs on campus are for academic purposes, wait for after hours to check FB or bring your own laptop. (I am typing this from my own laptop)

3. I also receive e-mails from students requesting someone to make a scanned copy of a homework page in the textbook and send it to them. I totally understand if you're hurting for cash and can't afford the book, but that's why the teachers reserve one in the library that cannot be checked out so it's always there. I send them this information and they are upset I'm not taking my time to copy and send the page to them. Rude?

4. You need headphones for that blasting ipod. Why is it even on? You're in class.

5. Anyone experience a parking lot "vulture"? A person who just parks their car and waits for someone to get out of class and take their space. I wouldn't have a problem with this except our parking lots are one way. I cannot go around you and now someone has pulled up behind me, great, I'm trapped. Thanks vulture.

I may have more. I can't think of any at the present time but I usually discover random incidents during the day or week that make me wonder: bad manners, etiquette faux pas, or just me?

The running gag at my university computer lab was "*marches into room* Okay, anyone who is on Facebook or looking at po_n, get off, I need to do my homework  " 

[Lady Snowdon]

2. In the computer labs I have noticed, as well, that when I am occupied on a desktop working on homework or doing a test I am asked to move because someone has an important e-mail, FB post, or whatever to check. I usually stare and wait for them to figure it out. Computer labs on campus are for academic purposes, wait for after hours to check FB or bring your own laptop. (I am typing this from my own laptop)

Policies on this vary; at the school I went to, there was a hierarchy posted on the walls of the computer labs stating that academic work came first and that recreational users were to cede priority to academic users. But the recreational users could use the school machines if they weren't being used for schoolwork at that moment.

(On the other hand, this was before it was so ubiquitous for students to have their own computer in their dorm or a laptop. The students who had those were considered lucky by the rest of us! Mid-nineties.)

Anyway, I think the rule should at least be that users should follow posted policy, and absent a posted policy, give priority to academic users.

My college's policy was that the computer labs were first-come, first-served.  Someone could, and often did, take up a computer for the entire night playing games, chatting, etc, especially in the dorm labs (I did it myself, especially when my computer refused to cooperate with the network on campus and wouldn't connect to the Internet, or the printer, or anything).  The labs in the buildings were a bit different, in that academic work was given priority but you couldn't boot someone off a computer to do your work.  So I don't think this is a universal rule of etiquette.