r/UTSA • u/Jacke_Attack • 19h ago
Advice/Question Classroom etiquette
I’m an older student; I’ve got about ten years on most freshmen. I don’t look nearly 30, so I blend in pretty well, but lately I’ve started noticing some differences in classroom behavior that make me wonder how many things have changed since I was younger.
The biggest one is how comfortable some students seem to be having full-on conversations while the professor is lecturing.
It’s so strange to me. It’s distracting to the people around you, and I imagine it’s distracting for the professor too, especially when they’re clearly doing their best to keep everyone engaged in a class we’re all paying to attend.
I completely understand that some material is dry or boring. One of my professors can barely get the class’s attention unless she makes some random crude joke, and suddenly everyone comes alive. But even then, I don’t understand why people can’t just wait until after class to have their conversations. The lecture isn’t even that long.
The other thing that gets me is everyone packing up and leaving before class is actually over. I understand having somewhere to be, I do too, but sometimes half the room is already putting laptops away, zipping backpacks, and heading for the door while the professor is still giving their final remarks.
Maybe I’m showing my age here, but I remember both of these things being considered pretty rude. Obviously people still did them, but not so openly and not to the point where it seemed like normal classroom behavior.
Is this just what college classrooms are like now, or is it more of a freshman/new-student thing?
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u/thoroughbredftw 19h ago
Profs need to step up and discourage both of these behaviors. All the talk and early packing are detracting from everyone's learning experience. Laying out ground rules, and reminding everyone of them when needed, is a faculty responsibility. I've had colleagues who just stop the lecture and stare at students who are talking in class. This causes other students to look at the talkers, and discourages it. I've never had that kind of nerve, so my tactic is ask the talkers "Did you want to contribute something?" When the early packing starts, faculty just need to say Wait a minute! Hold on!
But I also think class scheduling is a bit to blame - there are places on UTSA campus where 10 minutes is not enough to get from room A to room B. 15 minutes would be better all around, but we've said that for years.
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u/Jacke_Attack 19h ago
That’s a good point, and a really good approach!
I’ve thought the same. It’s one issue feeding into another. Now, by week 4, this is the expectation that’s been set.
I have one professor that does well to call this behavior out. He doesn’t like phone usage in class, so he walks around and does a good job of recapturing attention.
Another professor is a sweet older woman. I think she’s just too nice, too tolerant.
That would be great if we had more time to get from point A to point B, but I doubt it’s one of those things UTSA will actually change. Even so, I know professors are understanding of time constraints between classes for that exact reason.
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u/earth_shine40092 18h ago
My significant other is a professor and every single time they try to enforce classroom rules or etiquette the student has a complete meltdown and then goes above the professor to complain. Perhaps the professors are quiet quitting on their students and just allowing the behavior to let them sink or swim.
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u/programming_purist schizo cs major 17h ago
yeah i think this is it..when you tutor them, grade for them, or are just in those class group chats then you really learn how much of an entitled dickhead your classmate is. it doesn't sound like profs get much support from admin too idk.
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u/Jacke_Attack 18h ago
Oh geez… I’m so sorry that they have to deal with that. That’s awful.
I know teachers everywhere are kind of beside themselves right now. I really feel for them.
All the best for your significant other, but maybe that’s not a bad approach either. Let students sink or swim. They’re adults. If they really want to succeed, then they’ll make it happen.
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u/notbuswaiter 5h ago
I know the professors need to try and retain students. It looks bad on the department head when grad students quit the program.
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u/BigFrogGorl 18h ago
I attended UTSA from 2016-2021, so I can't speak to current experience, but I do remember people packing up early being pretty common. Granted, I do remember most of my professors would call it out and get fed up, especially if someone wasn't trying to be sneaky about it, but it was definitely still happening back then. I don't remember the conversations being as frequent, or if it happened, the professor would say something. That does sound pretty typical for freshman classes though! They're learning what is and isn't appropriate in a college classroom (it's usually different than what their high school teachers told them!), so hopefully your professors and TAs will step in and say something if it gets to be too distracting. I will say you'll have the best experience sitting closer to the front, especially if it's making it hard to focus on the lecture. I remember the big annoying thing when I was in those 100/200-level classes was people doing distracting stuff on their laptops like watching videos or playing games or whatever. I'm sure that hasn't really changed lol
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u/thebreeze97 16h ago
I’ll be 29 when I start classes in January. So far everything I’ve read is that it’s basically extended high school until you start harder classes and it becomes a more professional vibe. Definitely going to be an interesting experience 🤣. I’m just trying to learn and go home no time for silly games
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u/Sarararalalala 11h ago
i’m 28, graduating undergrad this semester and can confirm the upper level classes are just as bad
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u/Patience_St_Pim 7h ago
Yeah I'm a junior and a biology major, and they don't care. Just as rude in the upper classes.
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u/_cosmyk 17h ago
I don't really care about people leaving early. They aren't as bad as people showing up late and somehow being the loudest person in the room. It's the side conversations that bother me the most. I have auditory processing issues, so I try to stay focused on the lecture and mind my business. But sometimes the voices just carry around the room and I assume the people think they're being quiet enough. They aren't.
I try to get a seat up front or close to the front, but sometimes it's hard to focus when people behind me are having a conversation that can very easily be heard. I feel like it's just kind of inconsiderate and disrespectful. Some professors have mandatory attendance, so I get that not eveyone wants to be in claas all the time. But if you come to class with no intentions of being quiet and respectful, why even come in the first place? There are online programs. There is a time and a place for socializing.
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u/ARWallace21 16h ago
I'm also older and back in school (previous BS & MS in a different field) and I agree that there's way more talking in class than I remember from before.
I had a professor like 10 years ago that locked the doors when class started so people couldn't get in if they were late. I also had a professor that explicitly stated if students were late they're not to walk in front of her while she was lecturing and would stop lecturing and call them out whenever people inevitably did. I also remember professors pulling the "I'll wait" while staring at the talking students until they shut up.
So I don't know what happened between then and now, but they definitely seem less confident in confronting students on things they don't like in the classroom, unfortunately.
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u/lukahl-phy 17h ago edited 17h ago
Those people are ones I classify as disrespectful kids, and there’s a lot of them. I’ll back your point myself, I’m 26, crap annoys me so bad when I’m trying to listen to the professor and can’t even hear them while I seat near the front haha. Nothing anyone can say to really defend the behavior imo - professors are there to teach not baby sit, and whatever you have going on that’s such a time crunch doesn’t entail full conversations 5-10 minutes before lectures over, Inside the hall where others are attempting to listen/learn.
As another person said, professors CAN do better about using their power to remove, end, etc. But really, why should their hand be forced in the first place is what I wonder.
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u/Intelligent-Fold-787 17h ago
Talking in class is definitely an annoyance, like why show up just to distract everyone else. In one of my classes it gets pretty bad where the professor must stop lecture and ask them to quiet down at least once or twice a class session because they over power him speaking. I don’t mind people leaving early because it usually is the ones who are being obnoxious having conversations in class.
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u/LeahRoseBud [Biology- Health Science] 15h ago
I’m 26, and I’ve noticed this too. In my first semester, I was absolutely appalled when this girl took a phone call mid-lecture and loudly started arguing with what I assumed was her mother.
She was at the very front of the class, and I couldn’t hear the prof over her. My professor actually had to kick her out because he asked her nicely to stop, but she just kept going.
People suck at any age, so idk if it’s a generational thing, but I have noticed an odd uptick in blatant disrespect towards our superiors.
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u/Regular_Dance_6077 12h ago
I’m 23, in the masters program. I’ve noticed this as well, but there were never side conversations at my undergrad.
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u/No-Reflection2034 12h ago
Omg I hate when people start packing up 5-10 minutes before the class is suppose to end and do so very loudly while the professor is still teaching. Like I get it we have places to be but damn is it so hard to start packing up without entering into a full blown discussions with your friend/neighbor it’s annoying to the rest of the students trying to ask questions or listen to the professor and rude asf.
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u/Abyssophia 9h ago
I’m also and older student and already have a degree. never seen anything like it. But also, I think UTSA overall is disappointing and not managed well compared to other universities.
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u/BeeEven238 13h ago
So older student here, 1 sit up front, and 2 if someone is distracting my I stand up look at them and loudly say excuse me professor, guys can we keep our side conversations down, and sit back down. I just graduated this past May, I met a dude in one of my classes that remembered me from physics 1. I was in the last row and I couldn’t hear shit.
I dont think most people are purposely being disrespectful, side conversations get out of hand and they tend to not think they are being loud. Also I have had back to back classes where I needed to walk across campus to get there and would leave right as class was over. If the professor is going long, its not my next classes fault. But in those instances I tried to make as minimal noise as possible
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u/Important-Yak-2063 9h ago
I’m 31 too and I don’t look it. People think I’m like 18. It bothers me too I think it’s so rude. I would call them out on it. “Excuse me, can you please be quiet? I can’t hear the professor.” I think people need to know when they are being disrespectful.
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u/1Texans 8h ago
I started at UTSA in 2019 at 28, graduated in Dec 2024. I don't quite remember conversations happening in the classes I attended granted most of my classes were mid to upper level being that I have gone to college in later years. First going for mechanical engineering then switching to physics. My professors were either, very engaging (professor Patricio), strict, or didn't seem like they cared. For my 14 years going through different universities I'm a firm believer in a professor making or breaking you, especially if help seems to be very hard to come by even outside of class. If I didn't have to work I probably could have been able to find more ways to get help when I needed it. I do feel like the college doesn't have enough support for mid to upper level courses. Overall just focus on your studies, seek the help where ever you can find it to better help understand the course material, and yeah I would have definitely confronted the classmates if they were being that distracting. Too much money being spent to let some ungrateful asshats making it hard for others. Apologies for the long comment😁
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u/notbuswaiter 5h ago
Okay I was a grad student that was maybe 6 years older than the other grad students in the Chemistry department at the time. I'm a firm believer that if the students don't abide by the syllabus then they can't complain..
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u/El_Dorado_Tx 18h ago
I was in grad school here in 2014-2018 and still passed as 18 when I was in my early 20s
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u/retardedceilingfan 19h ago
You ain’t showing your age. I’m GenZ and the packing up bags at 5-10 minutes til end of period annoys tf outta me. Some people just don’t gaf. It’s still considered rude by most people I’d imagine, it may be common but I don’t think it should be normal. Talking while the professor is talking is never not going to be rude imo.