Things that always happen in UCSB lecture halls

As finals week approaches, our time spent inside lecture halls around campus appears to be coming to an end. The novelty of spring classes have finally worn off, and yet again, the students of UCSB have once more found themselves pondering the same, stressful question – how the hell is it almost finals week already?

And every time, it’s a ridiculously valid question.

One of the things we tend to realize at this point in the quarter, is that our time will soon come to a close with the classes we’ve attended for the past eight or nine weeks. We begin to see the end, and we begin to recognize the unique characteristics of each lecture in our schedule (our opinions of the professor, the classes’ grading scale, the material itself – you get the point.)

Our judgment of these characteristics is what ultimately leads to our decision of whether or not we liked the class. Many of these classes, however, contain some striking similarities – especially with regards to the students taking them. Admittedly, some of these similarities are more likely to apply in large versus small lectures, but in college, I wouldn’t doubt that crazier shit has happened.

Based on my experience here at UCSB, here are the top 5 things that always happen in UCSB lecture halls (in no particular order):

Ending up on Facebook

I’m not really talking to anyone specific here, just every single person who brings a laptop with them to class. Whether it happens once a week, or once every five minutes, it is bound to happen at some point. Don’t believe me? The next time you have a class in IV Theater or Campbell Hall, sit somewhere in the back where you can see the sea of laptops and glance around every few minutes to see if someone is on Facebook. Odds are, there probably is.

Checking the time more often than necessary

how nice it would be to be in Melbourne right about now…

I think it’s safe to say that all of us have done this at least once or twice. You sit down, learn for what seems like half the class, and finally decide to check the time. You’ve just passed the 11 minute mark, which ultimately means you’re guaranteed to check the clock again at least another 10 times before lecture has finished. Not the most ideal situation to be in, but hey – nothing a few deep breathes and a refresh on your Facebook feed can’t fix.

Meeting someone with the plague

Let’s be honest here, regardless of the time of year, there’s always that one person in lecture who sounds like they should be lying on their deathbed in the middle of the 14th century. Although they often cough at un-ideal times, and occassionally cause us to miss crucial information, they are nonetheless “troopers” who should be admired for their perserverance and academic efforts. (From afar, of course…)

Forgetting your pencil or scantron

These ones are usually forgivable offenses, unless of course they happen frequently or occur right before a midterm/final. (Seriously, don’t be that guy.) If it happens once a quarter, you’re probably okay. Anything more than that, odds are you’re a minor nuisance to your peers and they want you to get your life together. Plan ahead, and have your shit together – it’s a good skill to have.

Falling asleep

it took five alarms but you made it…

Sometimes it’s by choice, and sometimes it’s not – the bottom line is that it happens. We’re always trying to catch up on sleep as college students, and dim lecture halls can be a great environment to do so sometimes.

An occasional doze is totally acceptable, as long as it doesn’t become a habit that is.