Where do YOU sit in class?

[Caribbean Character]

Our nursing classes are held in a multi-media lecture hall. The hall is video-linked to a branch classroom 45 miles away. We have 7 rows of 5 seats on the left and 6 rows of 5 seats on the right with a center aisle. The front row on the left is used by the instructors (we have 7 total) I sit in the aisle seat in the first (student) row on the left. What amazes me is that no one else sits in this row. Only three students sit in the front row on the right. It just amazes me that my fellow students would work so hard to get into our program (on average, 4-5 applicants for every freshman seat) and then sit in the back of the classroom during lecture! Where do you sit in your classroom/lecture hall and why?

[rubato, ASN, RN]

In our class this year, there are some incredibly annoying people in the front row. Think they know all the answers and don't allow anyone else to try. Then, in the back, we have the jokesters who are a bit disruptive to class. I just try to sit with my friends towards the middle rows, on the edges so that I can focus, but don't have to sit with any annoying personalities.

[NightNerd, MSN, RN]

I sit within the front right three rows, and I always wear boring colors to class so I won't get called on! I definitely pay attention and am pretty good about keeping the phone away, but I will not learn if I'm stressing about answering a question properly. It still happens sometimes, but that strategy keeps it to a minimum so I can really concentrate on the material and not how smart I sound today.

[Eru Ilúvatar]

I tend to sit in any of the first 3 rows. That way i am close to the Professor and can hear the lecture properly. Depending on the classroom and how is it setup or organized ( does the Professor uses a mic to enhance his lecture, how are the seats arranged, etc) i would swap seats, but i try to stay as close to the lecturer as it is comfortably possible.

In my personal experience people who are interested in the lecture sit closer to the speaker, and those not so interested sit away from the speaker in order to do something else.

I paid a hefty sum of money to attend each class so I might as well listen to what the Prof. has to say.

[Stephalump]

How hard I worked to get into the class really has no bearing on where I sit...I don't see sitting further up as getting my value or claiming my spot or anything like that. I'm close to blind in one eye and ADD so I sit in the second row to avoid the chatty Cathy's in the back . I'd sit in the front row, but I'm ADD and I don't want professors having a direct view of what I'm doing when I'm distracted

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

I sit up front so I can focus and concentrate on what's going on. People in the back tend to talk or play on their phones. I am there for one reason only and that is to earn my degree. I'm not there to make friends or find out who is having the best party this weekend and I also don't care who is dating who. A couple of my classes I have a lot of kids who just got out of high school this year and they are not really into learning yet. I am paying out of my pocket for my classes and I can't afford to not do well.

[barcode120x, RN, NP]

I sit in the far back with mah buddies. Our room is quite small and barely fits all 60 of us in the class. My buddies and I always sat in the back. Funny thing is, most of the males sit in the back, but I guess it's only natural since were the minority haha but it's still quite mixed in the back with females. There really is no reason why we sit in the back...but I guess it's more comfortable? Not gonna lie but sometimes lecture is boring so my buddies knockout in the back haha or just browse the internet/phone, then again, who does? Well aside from those that sit in the front rows. I'm doing pretty well in the class too.

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

Why is that so amazing to you? I prefer to sit in the back, I can still hear, see and participate. The lighting and large screens hurt my eyes in the front, and I'm more comfortable seeing everything in in the room, with my back to a wall.

We all learn our own way-- I'm confused why it matters to you where people sit, and why you assume people in the back somehow are missing out on something?

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

usually the first or second row

I want to hear the professor clearly. Not to mention people in the back usually play on iphone or talk and that's distracting.

I sit in the last, I see people in EVERY row on their laptops facebooking, shopping, playing games, sleeping, txt etc. etc. etc.

How can you assume to know what the people behind you are doing? (other than talking- which people all throughout the lecture hall do as well)..

[Pink Magnolia, BSN, RN]

I sit in the last, I see people in EVERY row on their laptops facebooking, shopping, playing games, sleeping, txt etc. etc. etc.

How can you assume to know what the people behind you are doing? (other than talking- which people all throughout the lecture hall do as well)..

Umm...let's see. I use to sit in the back all the time when I was getting my BS.ed! Well now I'm working on my BSN. When you're paying $520 a credit hour...you want to hear what you're paying for "clearly". Not to mention it's rude to talk and play on the phone in class when someone is presenting valuable information to you. Why do you care what I do or think anyways?

[elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

i used to sit closer to the front up until i got my glasses. Now i generally sit in the back as so far my curriculum is pretty much self taught, i really dont even need to be in class at all lol. Ill sit in a 2nd to last seat of my row, because people usually like to sit at least 1 seat away from most people, and a lot of my classmates pair up so this ensures that no one will generally sit next to me

[canigraduate]

For me, it depends on how much I need to focus to pass the class. Easy classes, I sit in the back. For all my nursing courses, I sat front row near the teacher. It's much harder to get distracted when you are sitting within three feet of a lecturer.

[ruralnurse84]

I don't see why you would care where anyone else sits in the class especially if they are doing well and not disrupting class. There are plenty of people who sit in the front of my class who I find way more obnoxious because they ask too many questions, sometimes irrelevant to the lecture or decide to tell their life story. In any case, I sit in the middle near the aisle. I get anxiety sitting in the front row. Teachers tend to focus on them more for asking questions. I'm an A student but don't like the pressure of answering a question in front of the whole class.