It’s time for an attitude adjustment, Eagles.
On a daily basis, blatant disregard for the respect of one’s peers and teachers is perpetuated and no one seems to care, which, while disheartening in itself, reveals an underlying trend of declining values in young adults.
The subject at hand is the “end of class shuffle.”
Invariably, the last minute or so of class is filled with the sounds of chairs squeaking, jackets ruffling and backpacks being replaced on the shoulders of anxious students.
But, wait, what’s that sound wavering just above the din? A professor finishing a lecture?
Surely not? You’d be silly to think that he might be using the last sixty seconds of class trying to wrap up a lesson, especially not on your time.
You’re a very important person. You pay his salary, after all. If anything, he should be letting you out early … right?
Wrong! We are in college. We are here to learn. We are here to become better citizens.
While “Saved by the Bell” had a great run, the original production ended in 1993.
It’s 2011. There’s no reason to emulate Zach, Slater and the gang by rushing out of your seat.
Maybe you haven’t noticed, but there aren’t any bells in college.
The professors are resources for helping you learn. If you don’t utilize every minute they give you, and encroach upon their time by ending class at your discretion, you not only squander the time and money you’ve invested in the class, but also its educational integrity; not to mention diminishing the experience for your classmates.
Perhaps, as they say, chivalry is dead.
Maybe the disappointed sighs of, “Kids these days…” have some merit: through the self-centered habits and sense of entitlement held by the youth today, the general perception of the current generation is negative.
But we can do something to change that.
Mind your manners. Follow the Golden Rule. Give your attention to whoever has the floor. And, please, show some respect.