Classmates who talk during class ...

[Paws]

I have a guy who tends to sit right behind me and he will talk to anyone around him all through the three hours of class we have. We are all cramed into a small auditorium and are just about out of room so it's not like we're in a huge auditorium and we can spread out. Even so, he talks pretty loudly so you can hear him all over the room. Sometimes the profs just stop and stare at him but so far no one's told him to zip it.

I have told him to shush it a couple of times with no results. He will talk over what the prof just said and ignore what they are currently saying. Apparently, he is discussing the finer points of the lecture. It's really hard to concentrate with his blather going on -

Suggestions? ideas? on Friday he was snapping his gum all morning too. I wish we had video lectures and I would stay out of class and relax at home. Somehow, I have to deal with this but it makes me dread going to class.

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[tinkerbelle]

Hit him over the head with a baseball bat? That'll shut him up fairly quickly

But seriously, what if you joking mentioned how annoying it is when people talk in class? Maybe he'll get the hint that he's really rude and obnoxios during class.

 

[MEG@COOL]

Sit right beside him and make weird buzzing noises whenever he talks.

 

[azzarah]

I have a guy who tends to sit right behind me and he will talk to anyone around him all through the three hours of class we have. We are all cramed into a small auditorium and are just about out of room so it's not like we're in a huge auditorium and we can spread out. Even so, he talks pretty loudly so you can hear him all over the room. Sometimes the profs just stop and stare at him but so far no one's told him to zip it.

I have told him to shush it a couple of times with no results. He will talk over what the prof just said and ignore what they are currently saying. Apparently, he is discussing the finer points of the lecture. It's really hard to concentrate with his blather going on -

Suggestions? ideas? on Friday he was snapping his gum all morning too. I wish we had video lectures and I would stay out of class and relax at home. Somehow, I have to deal with this but it makes me dread going to class.

I think I am a nice person and I know this sounds mean, but I talk in class, but then I also sit in the very back and this gunner sits next to me and tells me to shut up all the time. That encourages me to chit chat even more.....Why don't you move to the front row?

 

[Paws]

Hey Azzarah, I am already in the front row. And why do you talk during class so much? isn't class for listening to the lecturer? That's the reason I'm there, I can talk to my friends more comfortably after class.

Maybe you meant well by saying that, but it's really frustrating. Our lecture hall is really small and it's incredibly distracting to other students, as well as for the professors. And it's really disrepectful to the professors. This guy is so rude, that he will ask the professor a question and then interupt his answer with his own interpretation and then when he's gotten the answer he wants he'll actually say outloud to the professor (cutting him off in midsentance), "yeah, yeah alright ..."

He's really a pain in the neck.

 

[EctopicFetus]

Maybe you should move to a different part of the class. This way the dude wont be bothering you. Also, let me say that i used to talk somewhat in class but they were only the classes that had required attendance. Otherwise if I wasnt gonna pay attention I just would not show up in class makes sense? It does to me..

Anyhow my best advice to you is to sit somewhere else so this jabber wont annoy you.

 

[dr.z]

Hit him over the head with a baseball bat? That'll shut him up fairly quickly

 

[cheapdate]

I have a guy who tends to sit right behind me and he will talk to anyone around him all through the three hours of class we have. We are all cramed into a small auditorium and are just about out of room so it's not like we're in a huge auditorium and we can spread out. Even so, he talks pretty loudly so you can hear him all over the room. Sometimes the profs just stop and stare at him but so far no one's told him to zip it.

I have told him to shush it a couple of times with no results. He will talk over what the prof just said and ignore what they are currently saying. Apparently, he is discussing the finer points of the lecture. It's really hard to concentrate with his blather going on -

Suggestions? ideas? on Friday he was snapping his gum all morning too. I wish we had video lectures and I would stay out of class and relax at home. Somehow, I have to deal with this but it makes me dread going to class.

publically humiliate him by loudly pointing out his annoying yabbing.

 

[ishaninatte]

While talking in class may be fun and all, folks are paying to be there, and the very least they should expect is to be able to hear the lecturer.

BOO talking!

 

[TheRussian]

this is the exact reason my school went all wireless so that you can bring your laptop to class and converse via e-mail or aim if the you start losing focus in class. That way you don't actually have to open your mouth to talk to someone sitting right next to you.

 

[tinkerbelle]

While talking in class may be fun and all, folks are paying to be there, and the very least they should expect is to be able to hear the lecturer.

BOO talking!

exactly. I wish people who talked all though out class would realize that some people actually go to class to learn and not to listen to some blabbermouth talk about absolutly nothing. I still think my baseball bat idea is the best.

 

[Paws]

Thanks guys, I agree with these comments. I am older and worked really hard to get here so I value every minute of the experience. Also, I am really having to bust my butt to get a decent grade - and I don't mean much over passing sometimes.

This guy is very aggressive and even in pbls with him he is constantly talking. Even when he doesn't know the answer he'll keep talking and come up with something lame, like well I was starting to come to that point ...

I will have to move. Our lecture hall is tiny! and already most people have "their' seats so I have to be careful not to sit in someone else's seat.

I wish we had videotaped lectures! the cramped classroom is frustrating. I might also tell him, for the third time to zip it. He gets really mad when I do but I guess I can be strong and just do it anyway.

 

[sparklingpink]

There are a couple of non-stop-talkers in my class who not only talk through each lecture, but who are incapable of whispering. When I hear them (given the acoustics of this style of auditorium, they can be heard throughout the entire room), here is what it sounds like they're saying:

"hey guys! with every word i say, i am making your education less valuable! i am wasting your money! i think my in-class social life is more important than you learning this material!!! in fact, with every word i say, i respect the class as a whole and the teacher a little less each time!!"


so to paws and others, i understand your plight.

 

[renox9]

Thanks guys, I agree with these comments. I am older and worked really hard to get here so I value every minute of the experience. Also, I am really having to bust my butt to get a decent grade - and I don't mean much over passing sometimes.

This guy is very aggressive and even in pbls with him he is constantly talking. Even when he doesn't know the answer he'll keep talking and come up with something lame, like well I was starting to come to that point ...

I will have to move. Our lecture hall is tiny! and already most people have "their' seats so I have to be careful not to sit in someone else's seat.

I wish we had videotaped lectures! the cramped classroom is frustrating. I might also tell him, for the third time to zip it. He gets really mad when I do but I guess I can be strong and just do it anyway.

I can't believe he gets mad when you ask him to be quiet!! That is just too rude. I think he deserves to be embarassed...maybe the next time he is talking obnoxiously and ignoring your requests you should raise your hand as if you're going to ask a question and when the professor calls on you and you have the entire auditorium's attention you should ask him to be quiet. Maybe if the whole class hears you ask him to be quiet then he'll finally realize what a disruption he is.

 

[monstermatch]

My friend, you have identified your class idiot. I can guarantee that there is at least one in every class. At the start it can be tough to differentiate the class idiot from an outspoken gunner, but there are some definite differences - so how do you identify the class idiot?

1) They always try to bring attention to themselves at inappropriate moments - eg during lecture/pbl. The most conspicuous manifestation of this is when they argue with the professor over a very minor point. After a semester or two the sight of their upraised hand in class will bring groans of dissent from the rest of the audience.
2) They ask a lot of dumb questions during classtime only to inflate their egos. This exends to anatomy lab where they will buttonhole an instructor and discuss the finer points of the cutaneous nerves of the abdomen.
3) They act like an authority on every subject, often saying things like - "I already took biochemistry in college so I know blah blah blah..." when in fact they are wrong at least half the time and really know less than the average student. Careful inquiry into their test results will show that they got a C on that biochem test because "they don't teach it right at this school."
4) Finally, they talk during class and generally act indignant when a sensible person asks them to shut the heck up.

After a while, you will realize that you are not alone and everyone else in class thinks this guy is annoying but they are all too timid to do anything about it. Once you've found common cause with a few people, he will officialy become the most hated person in class - word will spread and everyone will learn to ignore everything that comes out of his mouth. Fortunately, when he hits third year, the attendings and nurses will cut him to ribbons and publicly upbraid him for his idiocy.

 

[fantasty]

monstermatch - that's hysterical and oh so true...

I agree with just about everything said on here, but I also want to reiterate how distracting it can be for the lecturer. If it's that noticable (and trust me, lecturers notice it when idiots are talking or worse yet joking around), it effects the entire quality of the teaching.

Lastly - I'm not saying I condone this, but some of the people in my class actually made up bingo cards with the most annoying 24 students on them. If the student asked a question in class, you got to mark it off. Nobody actually ever stood up with a bingo, though. (I'm not against students asking questions in class, though, if they are helpful and to clarify material - it's just annoying when the students either start fighting with the speaker or just ask things to make them feel smarter than the rest of the class).

 

[ericdamiansean]

take something sharp, and shove it where the sun don't shine the next time he opens his gap

 

[TheRussian]

Lastly - I'm not saying I condone this, but some of the people in my class actually made up bingo cards with the most annoying 24 students on them. If the student asked a question in class, you got to mark it off. Nobody actually ever stood up with a bingo, though. (I'm not against students asking questions in class, though, if they are helpful and to clarify material - it's just annoying when the students either start fighting with the speaker or just ask things to make them feel smarter than the rest of the class).

This is hilarious. I'm going to have to introduce this game to my classmates.

Some people in our class actually had a fantasy game where every week they would "draft" like four people to their team and got points for every question that those people asked in class. The team with the most points at the end of the week wins. It was pretty funny but I'm going to have to try the bingo game.

 

[sapience8x]

Oh Gee lemme see- what school could you possibly be talking about?

there is a guy that does this at my school too and I have told him to be quiet a few times. Since he deons't seem to care about th electurer I have told him to be quite i am studying. so he toned it down a bit. but i can only do this when he is sitting near me. I am considering taking him aside and telling him nicely. He CANNOT whisper and why is he talking anyway? if he doesn't want to listen, don't come or read somethinng else!!!

 

[eralza]

Maybe get the professor involved.
I'm sure that the lecturer is at least as tired of this dude as you are. I would sure be embarrased if a professor took me aside after class and told me I was an offensive a$$! Coming from a classmate, criticism might be brushed aside, but from a figure of authority...that's another story.

 

[azzarah]

I think talking every now and then makes lecture more bearable for me. We have a huge lecture hall, I sit in the very back by the door, and I whisper. I don't distract people except this one gunner who sits a seat away from me for some reason.
I say move to another part of your classroom or ask this guy nicely if he could be quiet since you have trouble focusing. It sounds to me like unless you ask him very nicely, he is not likely to stop.
Good luck!

 

[SOUNDMAN]

I'm telling you that you need to tell this guy immediately to shut his pie hole. You are there to learn and if he is not, he can leave and doesn't need to be there. Say it with some authority so he knows your pissed, and willing to kick his arse if he doesn't zip it...Make sure some other people around you hear it so he'll be embarrassed. Maybe even the professor, but if you take the high road and assert yourself, I believe you'll be surprised at the results .

 

[Pembleton]

Is your professor a wimp? All he can do is give hard stares?

 

[Paws]

There are a couple of non-stop-talkers in my class who not only talk through each lecture, but who are incapable of whispering. When I hear them (given the acoustics of this style of auditorium, they can be heard throughout the entire room), here is what it sounds like they're saying:

"hey guys! with every word i say, i am making your education less valuable! i am wasting your money! i think my in-class social life is more important than you learning this material!!! in fact, with every word i say, i respect the class as a whole and the teacher a little less each time!!"

You guys made me laugh out loud, some of these comments are so funny!

He was really quiet today for some reason - maybe he reads SDN??? Anywhoo, yes some professors have said things to other blabberers and one time a prof said to these incredibly irritating girls who just blabbed all morning day after day to each other like they were on cell phones, "girls," he said, "was there something you wanted to say?" It was really priceless. But they never peeped after that. I do wish in general that profs were more assertive. If it was me up there teaching I'd be like: "hey! what's up with the talking?! Take it outside right now, or can it."

Yep I am going to speak up if he starts in. I don't know why it's so hard to confront inapropriate behavior. I have spoken to him twice before so he should be used to these comments by now. Of course, he gets really mad at me when I confront him as I said. Other people have moved away so I might guess it bothers them too.

I wish our lecture hall was really big then we could all spread out, and I think the incredible compactness makes it more stressful dealing with each other. We are just about 1 person to 1 chair and that's about it.

 

[omarsaleh66]

One time last year, some people were talking during class. The teacher stopped lecturing and looked down at his crotch and said "Are my pants unzippeded or somehting?" It was funny, no one talked after taht

 

[LaurieB]

You need to start a conspiracy with your classmates to all sit at least one seat away from the guy. Maybe when he has an empty ring of seats around him, he'll understand that it isn't just a few people who are annoyed after that.

On a more serious note, the profs and the adminitration at my school are very proactive about addressing this kind of behaviour. Are there any deans or course directors who you can report him to?

Good luck!

 

[Microhabitats]

You need to start a conspiracy with your classmates to all sit at least one seat away from the guy. Maybe when he has an empty ring of seats around him, he'll understand that it isn't just a few people who are annoyed after that.

This one is really good.

 

[carrigallen]

Doesn't your school have a student honor code/committee to handle this kind of thing? It seems like he would be annoying a lot of people, so it will probably be a matter of time before they discuss it with him. I would talk to one of them about it.

 

[MSHell]

There are a few people like that at my school too . I can understand making REQUIRED classes more bearable, but why in God's name would you show up to a class that's not required and then proceed to talk the whole way through and disturb everyone? WHY? WHY? WHY?

I've asked these people to zip it too, to no avail. They've even been publicly humiliated by several different lecturers (and I don't go to lectures often!). One lecturer said: "Is my lecture disrupting your conversation?"

Some people don't get it. I just hate these people more and more and it makes me want to spend even less time with my classmates.

 

[sparky5]

I too have the talkers behind me. I mean we all chat a little when there is a great joke, and I myself everynow and then whisper something to my fellow 2nd row mates but not all class. There are people behind me who when they don't understand or disagree with something decided to discuss the topic for the rest of class. I have commented a couple of times about it, but I hate to be so confrontational. But, if it continues again next trimester I might just have to say something directly to them.

sheesh.

 

[renox9]

I too have the talkers behind me. I mean we all chat a little when there is a great joke, and I myself everynow and then whisper something to my fellow 2nd row mates but not all class. There are people behind me who when they don't understand or disagree with something decided to discuss the topic for the rest of class. I have commented a couple of times about it, but I hate to be so confrontational. But, if it continues again next trimester I might just have to say something directly to them.

sheesh.

hehe... Sparky5, I sit in the back of the auditorium and I think I know exactly who you are talking about. You should mention something.

 

[MeowMix]

we also have the talkers, and the people who just can't remember to turn off their cell phones.

I've tried moving all over the lecture hall, and in EVERY spot except the very front row there is an audible group close by.

I also don't get it - lectures are OPTIONAL - why come to class and talk?

Although I do think this is an issue of professional conduct and courtesy, most of the lecturers have zero classroom management skills to stop this kind of thing, which just makes it worse.

Don't get me started on the people who just can't seem to make it to class on time, including exams.

 

[sparky5]

hehe... Sparky5, I sit in the back of the auditorium and I think I know exactly who you are talking about. You should mention something.

You hear whomever is sitting behind me all the way back there? I am really shocked. I thought it was just me since my next seatmates don't really get bothered by it. But, I think I may just say something Then again it is hard to throw rocks in glass houses, if I say something I have to be totally silent which isn't much fun

Along these lines the best quote I have heard all year was from one of these talkers in a break after her phone had gone off for like the third time that week. "I've told my friends I'm in class I dont know why they keep calling"

the silent or off button must not work on that phone

 

[babyruth]

Talk to your student government or senate and see if they can't enforce or reiterate professionalism rules, also maybe talk to your student services or someone else in that capacity that deals with student problems, then maybe they can address the siutation if he/she is ignoring your attempts to make them quiet...

 

[thewebthsp]

Med school culture is really irritating... in philosophy classes you might argue yell scream but there was always a level of respect for the other guy.

THere isn't much respect in medical school. If you bring it up in class (or in a public email -- which unfortunately some have unwisely attempted -- you will get humiliated)-- so you leave it alone.

You don't ask questions because you might be seen as "one of those people." Ok, it's not quite that bad, but whereas before I never felt bad asking questions because I was curious I almost never do so now (at least not publicly).

It gets uglier. People do crossword puzzles in lecture and sections. This is just mean and assholish. Would I publicly complain? Only if I wanted to be seen as an uptight ....

It's one thing to realize you've done something wrong and change your behavior-- and that's what I wish my classmates would do (rather than judge them... which I try like hell not to do).

2 lecturers have already told people to leave the lecture hall, and/or they wouldn't lecture to us if they were disrespected.

It's not that hard... if people just basically respect each other, and their teacher, and just USE COMMON SENSE things would be fine.

 

[sapience8x]

part of the problems is the peopel who think they are whispering really can't whisper so it comes out as a hushed yell. it's so annoying!

 

[Rod Farva]

I have a guy who tends to sit right behind me and he will talk to anyone around him all through the three hours of class we have. We are all cramed into a small auditorium and are just about out of room so it's not like we're in a huge auditorium and we can spread out. Even so, he talks pretty loudly so you can hear him all over the room. Sometimes the profs just stop and stare at him but so far no one's told him to zip it.

I have told him to shush it a couple of times with no results. He will talk over what the prof just said and ignore what they are currently saying. Apparently, he is discussing the finer points of the lecture. It's really hard to concentrate with his blather going on -

Suggestions? ideas? on Friday he was snapping his gum all morning too. I wish we had video lectures and I would stay out of class and relax at home. Somehow, I have to deal with this but it makes me dread going to class.

You really suck.

 

[Paws]

You really suck.

Thanks Rod, I always appreciate well rounded feed back.


These are really great responses and it's good to hear how other people around the country deal with the same &^%$ issue. At my school, we are not so well supported by the dean's office or by a student governement structure. I asked the class president once if he could just step on the lecture stage and just remind everyone about their civic duty to be respectful of others and basically not blab all moring during the speakers presentation. He said, no it wasn't what he wanted to do as class president. He felt his role was more for fun, like parties and whatnot. He didn't want the role of class monitor. Alot of us were disapointed in that response. From what others have said, it sounds like other schools might have more resources for student problems like this.

This is a weird problem, too because I was thinking that I have never been in an academic situation where students were allowed to 'run the show' and act anyway they want. No other school have I seen students be allowed to just talk loudly all morning. It is so disrepectful to the speaker and the other students. I defintitely think it's the medical school environement where students are very aggressive and well, let's admit it, some are very selfish. I am not purfect but at least I can keep quiet in lecture for three hours a day.

These are great comments, it's awesome to hear about other school's experiencesl !

 

[fantasty]

This is a weird problem, too because I was thinking that I have never been in an academic situation where students were allowed to 'run the show' and act anyway they want.

That's a good way to sum it up, too. As professional students, you REALLY DO run the show. Even though the lectures in the first couple of years seem like glorified undergrad, we're going to be doctors, and this is a good time to start acting like it. (Not saying you can't do pretty much whatever you want on your own time, but professionalism should start with the white coat ceremony). And, I think this is where a lot of honor codes and self-governance really start. Congrats on stepping up and taking action

 

[ultracet]

At my school we have a problem with talking as well...

The way they tried to solve it was by going to the dean of student affairs and that person sent out emails and requested a meeting with each and every individual that talks during class...
nothing bad came out of the meetings just having an authority call you out on it may have worked...

 

[monstermatch]

These sorts of issues are always a lot easier to deal with if you have a good dean and good class officers. The dean/president should be the one to play mommy and reprimand excessive talkers/cell phone goobers. Its not your responsability and you shouldn't feel bad about your hesitancy to shush your classmates. After all, you could end up working one on one with that talker when you're on surgery together. If your dean sucks just remember - if you complain enough to him he'll have to do something about it.