As I sat and pondered what I wanted the next installment of this column to cover, I settled on that one kid who is seemingly in every class, the one that always feels like they know more than the teacher and speaks up every three minutes.
All of you I’m sure can recall a time to relate to what I’m talking about. You’re sitting in class minding your own business trying to learn and a student is in the front row eager to learn, seemingly bursting at the seams to ingest the syllabus on the first day.
You cringe as they ask questions about the clearly laid out syllabus and more so because you can see the reaction of the teacher’s face.
In two weeks, this student has morphed from an innocent, curious individual to a carnivorous, rabies-infected dog whose only sustenance is a compulsory need to disagree with the teacher.
Scenario:
Teacher: “This painting came from 18th century China.”
Student: “Actually, it’s from the 19th century.”
Me: Really? Wtf dude, was that really necessary for you to interrupt just to squabble over something so small? No one in this room now thinks you are smarter. In fact, we all dislike you a little more for being an ass.
I mean, of course a kid in college would know more than a teacher, who, without a doubt, has more education, having spent all of their grad work on that one subject and more than likely gotten a doctorate.
Of course, you, the kid who reads random history facts off Google or some random low level books, are a reliable, intelligent source.
Seriously, if you are one of those people, have the self-confidence to let your grades speak for themselves.
If you are an intelligent person, that will be conveyed through how you carry yourself, how you speak, when it is necessary to speak, and most importantly, how you treat an elder intellect with respect.
Less is more, speaking in few words is more profound than spouting off at the mouth. It also ensures class gets out on time so I can go have a drink.
