Do you think professors can tell what kind of student you are by just looking...

[monkeyMD]

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Do you think professors can tell what kind of student you are by just looking at you? You know, just sitting there in class.

 

[NickNaylor]

Yes. As someone who has essentially served as a TA and done some teaching, it's incredibly obvious which students actually pay attention and which ones don't give a damn. And yes, it impacts how I treat each student individually and being willing to spend extra time with them when they have questions. Is that right? Probably not. But I'm not going to waste my time on students that don't pay attention the first time around and then expect me to spend extra time with them later.

 

[HAV000]

Yes. As someone who has essentially served as a TA and done some teaching, it's incredibly obvious which students actually pay attention and which ones don't give a damn. And yes, it impacts how I treat each student individually and being willing to spend extra time with them when they have questions. Is that right? Probably not. But I'm not going to waste my time on students that don't pay attention the first time around and then expect me to spend extra time with them later.

IMO I've been a TA too, but it was hard for me to keep track of 100+ students and figure out who was paying attention (i.e. the good students) and who wasn't. They only stood out if they asked questions in discussion or came to me for help.

 

[nontradguy84]

I'm right there with Nick. When I'm teaching or tutoring a group of math students or the students that are learning Japanese, it's easy to tell who wants to be there and who doesn't. And also, like him, if I notice that someone is trying really hard, I'll go out of my way to help them, but if they're just sitting there, twiddling their thumbs, I really don't give them all that much attention. I just don't see the point.

 

[HAV000]

Plus, if in a big lecture hall a professor saw people focused and attentively taking notes, but couldn't associate their faces with specific names, I can't imagine how it would help them much anyway

 

[two thirty]

Eh, I usually skip class or go just for the attendance, and I still keep a high GPA, so you can't always judge a book by its cover. I learn better on my own rather than sitting in class anyway.

 

[Lil Mick]

I've taught for several years at many levels of education, and there are students that I notice, even in a large lecture hall. For instance, the student getting low grades who falls asleep every class stands out, as does the kid answering all of my questions correctly.

However, some of the students doodling in their notebooks and not sitting still aren't lazy; they're bored (the type of student I tend to be when I'm not challenged by a class). Others who don't show up learn better on their own than in class (or know the material already and don't want to act out in class), and some of the students who sit in the front and take notes won't show up to office hours, despite getting C's and lower on exams.

Office hours and exams tend to be good indicators for what sort of student someone is. The A students who show up to reviews and e-mail me questions are probably concientious or interested; the F students who never ask for help probably aren't so concientious or interested.

 

[PremedGunner]

Yes probably to some extent. That's why I always look like I'm constipated.

 

[muhali3]

Humans automatically judge people by their appearance, whether they want to or not. Evolutionary Psychology 101.

 

[n3xa]

Do you think professors can tell what kind of student you are by just looking at you? You know, just sitting there in class.

People at school are usually surprised and have commented in the past that I am able to look nice and presentable when the situation calls for it (ie shadowing, interviews, conferences, etc).

I'm sharp, but I'm either wearing gym clothes or pjs if given a choice. And I used to do organic chemistry, so some of my (now) giant hoodies have holes/stains on them.

 

[Monocles]

Humans automatically judge people by their appearance, whether they want to or not. Evolutionary Psychology 101.

Fyi, Evolutionary Psychology is usually an upper-level course. 😛

 

[werd]

i think you can tell by appearances to some extent, but it's not reliable. some students that are attentive, asking questions, and go to office hours etc. may be trying to compensate for their struggling with the material. some of the most gifted students can sort of blend in and not stand out at all during lecture etc. (may be unengaged, not paying attention bc it's really easy for them). i kept a low profile in many of my college courses, never once went to office hours, but graduated summa.

 

[SN1]

Do you think professors can tell what kind of student you are by just looking at you? You know, just sitting there in class.

Absolutely NOT. I could tell that a lot of my teachers who saw me in the first day of the semester thought that I was this lazy kid who parties 24/7. I ended up being top 3 student in the class.

 

[Isoprop]

they THINK they do but they don't especially in a large classroom. in a small group or one-on-one setting over time, yes they can.

sometimes, the highest grades in my class are from the students sitting in the middle/back and blend in with pretty much everyone else. sometimes it's the kid answering all the questions in the front and furiously taking notes. sometimes, it's the guy slouched in the back with headphones on.

 

[BuffNerd]

I think that (as mentioned already), professors can tell if a student is paying attention or not, but I don't think that they can completely tell what type of student you are. Some of the most dedicated and most intelligent students I know are some of the ones who appear to be "way too relaxed" in class and it is certainly not crystal clear if they are paying attention or not.

 

[BJJ]

I've taught for several years at many levels of education, and there are students that I notice, even in a large lecture hall. For instance, the student getting low grades who falls asleep every class stands out, as does the kid answering all of my questions correctly.

However, some of the students doodling in their notebooks and not sitting still aren't lazy; they're bored (the type of student I tend to be when I'm not challenged by a class). Others who don't show up learn better on their own than in class (or know the material already and don't want to act out in class), and some of the students who sit in the front and take notes won't show up to office hours, despite getting C's and lower on exams.

Office hours and exams tend to be good indicators for what sort of student someone is. The A students who show up to reviews and e-mail me questions are probably concientious or interested; the F students who never ask for help probably aren't so concientious or interested.

I think you nailed it. If you saw me in class, I am always passively learning. I never take notes and don't really even look at the teacher, rather I try and visualize it. It seems like I might be goofing off or not paying attention, but I am. I then go home/library and cement the information into my head. Then I usually head to office hours at least once before each test to ask about random things that might still be a little foggy. So overall I would say no, the type of student you are cannot be deduced solely from what you do in lecture.

 

[dbeast]

I'd say yes they can... This is why I'm shooting 2 for 10 in my interviews. 🙁

 

[45408]

Sometimes. Some of the real eager beavers who ask lots of questions and take diligent notes are compensating for doing poorly. Some of the people falling asleep are bored, not lazy.

I usually sat in the middle of a big lecture hall, took notes, didn't ask questions in lecture, and rarely went to office hours. I'm sure I went unnoticed a lot of the time. I did have one physics discussion group that I scheduled way too early (and right after a weightlifting class), so I always came in wearing sweet-smelling gym clothes, and I fell asleep all the time. But I aced all the quizzes, so I don't know what the TA thought 😛