If you’ve ever been distracted by a classmate who constantly comes late to class, we’re on the same page. If you’re that person, know lots of us are talking about you.
Latecomers are the bane of the existence of many college students. If a student is continuing to show up to class late, the professor should drop them the moment they decide enough’s enough.
A few “Chicago Tribune” reporters tackled this subject for their paper years ago. They say not only will important notes and assignments will be missed when you walk in late, but your classmates will judge you and your professor will think you don’t take the course seriously.
When you walk into class late, you’ll most likely miss the beginning of a lecture or worse, a quiz. There’s usually no way to make up a quiz and getting notes from a classmate is something that requires a bit more effort not all of us always want to put forth.
Even if you do get those notes, who says you’ll be able to read them? Students are usually in such a rush to scribble down notes before the professor moves on to the next slide that words end up looking like another language. It’s probably just easier to try to decipher your own hieroglyphics.
Notes from a classmate might not be as detailed as yours would be and you’ve already begun the downward spiral to doing poorly in the class.
If you make a habit out of sauntering in late, your teacher will start to notice. In most cases, you’ll be stuck with them for 16 weeks. It’s rude and disrespectful and it looks like you don’t care about the class.
But if you want to go that route, though, you should get cut from the team immediately. Who wants someone on their squad who isn’t a team player?
Without the latecomers there, teachers could and should devote their time and attention to students who care to get to class on time – and therefore most likely care more about the class.
Of course, emergencies happen. But they don’t happen every week.
If you have other obligations that prevent you from getting to school on time, maybe school isn’t for you this semester. Or at least maybe it’s not for you at the time your classes start.
Or, even if you do decide you must go to school this semester and have all those extra obligations that could and would make you late for a class or two (or three) each week, pick a prime seat that won’t disrupt everyone else.
Don’t choose to sit in the seat all the way in the back in the class with too-narrow aisles and squeaky floors as your classmates, and, let’s be real, your professor too, stare you down as you wiggle your way into the farthest chair from the door you could’ve picked.
Just don’t.
