| | There are many ways to gain popularity -- be extremely rich, very good-looking, have a friendly and outgoing personality, be a genius... However, in the environment of a prestigous, private university, where a majority of the student population are from upper middle class families, and whose parents are great people in society -- most of the above options won't work at all. What will always make one the center of conversations, though...however somewhat -- well, absolutely -- on the negative side, is to be a overly-curious and annoy questioner.
I will never forget a fellow freshman I've encountered in my first year in college. She was in three of my above-average courses: two of which we shared the same lectures, and one I was in the lecture section after hers. At first glance, she appeared to be an intelligent person -- if somewhat strange -- though such abnormal cases are common in a college like mine. She always set in the front row. Attended every lecture, took notes on everything the professor had said. Studied periodically -- more likely constantly. A passionate student she was, one could say. However, the day when she opened her mouth -- everything changed.
All professors encourage students to ask questions in, before, and after lectures. However, when the questioning gets to an extend of annoyance and way overly done -- there clearly is a problem. My fellow first year student couldn't not stop asking questions...and note, those questions were in most cases irrelevent to the lecture, or so strange that no one have ever thought of -- in the context of: "Why do you even bother to ask that question?"
The first professor got so annoyed by her that he completely ignored her after a while, or seemly said that "The answer to the question will be cover in later topics" (which is mostly true). The second professor, poor him, had to stay later than usual in the classroom to offer her explanations, until the next class came and kick him out, and still had the girl following him out with more questions. The third professor, whose course I'm in right now, had just discovered the horror of having a student like her...
Well, at least she proved a way to be popular in the student population -- even though people disliked her. It was funny how after the first lecture I had with the third professor -- in which, of course, she asked one or two questions -- everyone in that course section seemed to know her. When I went to the course Discussion section this Monday, and the TA there was saying something that I cannot recall.
One student replied: "Well, there was this little **[censor]** who kept asking those stupid questions..."
Conversation revolving around that certain **[...]** person started.
Sometime later... TA: "Some people like that may happen to be your boss in the future..."
Student: "Some people may just be too socially awkward to be promoted."
I do feel sorry for that fellow first year student, however, at times it just became too much for me to handle -- I'd rather get through a lecture peaceful, without anyone interrupting the professor with pointless questions... |
| | Posted 1/25/2006 1:59 AM - 44 Views - 4 eProps - 2 comments
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