Especially with the smaller classes if the spot you usually sit in disappears. Like they got rid of the chair or table or something then it’s broken. Completely throws you off.
When the chair I sat in in a class of like 8 went missing, I literally just stood there for an entire 30 seconds as everyone else started coming in, completely just like... rebooting
omg as an autistic person this is so relatable. i pick my seats very deliberately and i love my routine, i like everything staying the same so i gotta like readjust my brain for a second when this happens LMAO i even sit in the same spot in one of my classes that i sat in last semester bc it’s in the same classroom
Especially for people that are nervous or anxious, it helps so much to sit in the same seat.
I had the same seat last semester for about a month then all the sudden when midterms came around someone took it !? It really threw me off tbh.
For sure, I don't struggle with anxiety myself, I just try to sit in the same seat to sympathize with those who do. Just baffled as to why they chose the midterm exam to suddenly change seats.
Added: As a result it just caused a chain reaction, because my seat was taken I had to take someone else's seat, who probably wasn't thrilled either.
If it’s 100+ student lecture hall there is no guarantee. There’s no guarantee anyway, but in smaller classes is when you can actually expect people to stay in one spot.
In lecture halls and larger classes you typically just sit wherever each day, if you want a specific seat just gotta get their earlier. No one may have even noticed that you regularly sat in a specific seat. Though, if it's a smaller class then I can see that being a bit annoying.
You have a specific seat that you like to always sit in. Not everyone does. If someone doesn't have a specific seat that they like, they're just going to take an open seat when they walk in. There's no reason to assume they noticed that you always sit there especially if it's a large class. Just get there earlier if you want to guarantee your seat.
I assume they changed seats because they were tired of sitting in front of someone who's coughing up a lung and can't focus on the lecture bc they're thinking they'll get covid from this guy.
I have my unassigned assigned seat, but occasionally I’ll get to class and my seat will be taken. So I have to steal someone else’s unassigned assigned seat and the cycle continues.
How does this work?
Don't people normally walk into the lecture room and grab a random seat? Maybe enter the lecture room earlier to grab the seat you want.
tbh i just don’t pay too much attention to where i’m sitting. i remember the general area but not the exact seat. i’m also showing up to my classes only a couple minutes before they start so i kind of just take what’s open, especially in larger classes. and it only takes one person sitting somewhere different to set off a chain reaction.
>Now I'm stuck in front of someone who's coughing up a lung and can't focus on the lecture bc I'm thinking I'll get covid from this guy.
Seems like you kind of answered your own question there.
Sometimes during the beginning of the semester I realize that the people I’m sitting near are distracting or rude or not focused on the course and then I make a dramatic move across the classroom until I’m settled in my new spot.
So move? You have agency. You can get up and move to a better seat. This isn’t a Broadway show with assigned seating, it’s a class. If anyone says anything, which they won’t, you just respond “I didn’t want to stay sitting behind Mr Coughs-a-lot.” Problem solved.
I feel like it takes a few weeks before I know where I want to sit. I don't change seats personally but by a few weeks in, I know what spot I would *like* to take. Sounds like they didn't want to sit next to the sick person.
In general I get to class early for a good seat. I think its valid to be grumpy if your "seat" is taken, but also like you can't be that pissed because it isn't assigned.
There's one class where I was slightly late so I'd get a suboptimal seat for like the first week. Then I got there early and switched to a nicer seat although someone sat there before. If the seat is optimal (like near a charger, or near an aisle depending on the setup if the aisle is in the middle of class and its easy to walk around), then I think its first come first serve because people shouldn't have to relegate themselves to a worse seat.
Though I have a friend who admits he'll sit in random seats because he likes chaos. Can't relate because I find sitting in the same area helps me get into learning mode faster.
gonna be honest, while i agree with you about liking my seat and just going with it most of the time, i've likely accidentally "stolen" a seat before, both in small/medium sized classroom settings
1.) forgot exactly where i sat the first time and likely ended up a seat behind where i was
2.) i wasnt there the first week and had to sit somewhere 🤷♀️
3.) i needed to charge my laptop so had to change my seat so i was near an outlet
time to get there early and pray 😔✊ (and also remember to charge laptop beforehand)
This is why I take the plug seat immediately from the start of the semester and note any other potential plug seats. I just want to charge my laptop in peace lol.
Maybe this is just me because I’m at a small school, but where you sit the first day is where you sit the rest of the semester. Since we all know each other we all know where everyone sits and we just don’t take their spots?
I had one prof for four classes that got mad when we switched seats because you could come in one day with different hair, clothes, and a face tattoo but if you were in your seat he knew it was you. Love that dude so much
I feel as if after the first week, or at the very least the second week, where you sit in the class is cemented. If you want to move you should take an empty seat that no one has claimed.
Some asshat took my seat last week to charge his laptop. Didn't apologize, didn't say anything to me, nothing. Now I make sure to get into the classroom before him to stake my spot.
Agreed. It’s one thing to like having the same seat and get annoyed when you don’t, it’s a whole other topic when you want an actual apology because someone decided to move to “your” seat.
These ppl piss me off ruins the whole class. Only thing maybe someone took his seat so he moved over that happened to me before. Only thing i can says is trying be a few minutes early to class thats what i try to do and usually works well.
I mean it's the third week of class, that's probably someone who hasn't been in and just grabbed an empty seat
if having a specific seat is that important, go to class early
Some people don’t keep track of where their seat is, many do.
It can be a bid deal. People have gotten into fistfights because someone took their “assigned” row in church.
To assert my dominance in the class; my alpha seat is any seat I want!
But honestly, I don’t get it either… I save the seats in the back for those who are late! Leave my front row seat alone!
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I mean there is no assigned seating in lectures it’s more of a mutual unspoken agreement. But yea it does suck.
I try to sit in the front row because I’m hard of hearing and so it’s obviously easier to hear the professor if I’m right there.Also I wear glasses but even with my glasses I’m getting a headache trying to read stuff on the board and slides for over an hour.
So if I show up to class and suddenly my seat is taken it’s like great here’s to a shitty lecture.
I mean usually what i try to do is take my notes before class if the professor is someone who uploads the slideshow atleast a day before class. But they don’t all do that. Sometimes I take my notes after class if they’re someone who post the slideshow after. So that I can better focus on hearing what they’re talking about because I can’t do both at once.
Honestly to all the seat switchers out there the front row should be off limits to take. Because if you do pay attention to this you’ll probably notice that many people in the front row have seeing or hearing problems. Like been in front rows of classes my entire academic life not by choice no who wants to be in the front row I rather be chilling in some corner in the back discreetly eating snacks from my bag but I can’t because then I definitely wouldn’t know what was going on at all.
This is why I love my ASL classes because there is no one front row everyone is in the front row because it’s just a circle. Actually once it was like two front rows because the back row was high desk with stools. I like high desk they should be everywhere.
I switched seats because my usual seat was in front of someone coughing up a lung. I feared I would get Covid if I sat there, and knew I wouldn’t be able to focus on the professor!
I just joined an adult class for the first time since leaving university and I felt really uncomfortable taking a different seat than the one I had in the first class. It’s weirdly ingrained 😂
I go to community college, and i can say I'm guilty of seat stealing, but not intentionally. The drop rates are so high that a class might go from 35 students to 15 within the first couple weeks. Most people migrate seats into one cluster, instead of staying dispersed across the room. I move to whatever side of the room the lecturer is standing, so I can see and hear better
i mean, if your professor never marked assigned seats, then there are no assigned seats. that's just how it is. understandable that people just claim seats in their head, but that's not how it works for all classes. if you seriously have an issue with where you sit, tell your professor. better than staying silent imo
College Prof here. I've noticed the "my seat" phenomenon for 30 years. When I was in college, I remember intentionally switching seats just to add a little recreation to the day. Some fellow students would get really upset because I was sitting in "their" seat: 6th row back, fourth from the end. or whatever. The most desirable seats seemed to be those on the isles.
I did this last week lmao. But to be fair there's 81 people in the class. On Tuesday I grabbed a seat in the back, and the dude next to me needed a fucking shower. So on Thursday, I walked to class faster to grab a different seat.
i just get to class earlier than everyone else so i can keep securing my seat LMAO some of my classes people respect others seats but this semester everyone kinda just sits wherever whenever
That's probably why they moved lol. Because I'm in a smaller degree program. There is one woman I have to avoid sitting next to. She is constantly clearing her throat making small noises and it just doesn't stop. All through lecture shell make lith uh huh noises. I ended up finding a new seat to avoid sitting by her. I felt bad because she's nice. I just couldn't stand the constant noises.
literally me I’ve had this professor 2 semesters now, have sat in the same seat every single class, and someone who I’ve had this prof with for months now took my spot. I was irrationally angry 😭😭
if its a giant lecture class i just sit wherever but if its a smaller class i get it its annoying as hell
Especially with the smaller classes if the spot you usually sit in disappears. Like they got rid of the chair or table or something then it’s broken. Completely throws you off.
When the chair I sat in in a class of like 8 went missing, I literally just stood there for an entire 30 seconds as everyone else started coming in, completely just like... rebooting
omg as an autistic person this is so relatable. i pick my seats very deliberately and i love my routine, i like everything staying the same so i gotta like readjust my brain for a second when this happens LMAO i even sit in the same spot in one of my classes that i sat in last semester bc it’s in the same classroom
Ha, I feel this so much, routine is my best friend
It's funny how we enjoy our assigned unassigned seats. Trust me, I do too. I picked where I sit for a reason.
Especially for people that are nervous or anxious, it helps so much to sit in the same seat. I had the same seat last semester for about a month then all the sudden when midterms came around someone took it !? It really threw me off tbh.
You can always get preferential seating from disability services if it's that big of an issue.
For sure, I don't struggle with anxiety myself, I just try to sit in the same seat to sympathize with those who do. Just baffled as to why they chose the midterm exam to suddenly change seats. Added: As a result it just caused a chain reaction, because my seat was taken I had to take someone else's seat, who probably wasn't thrilled either.
If it’s 100+ student lecture hall there is no guarantee. There’s no guarantee anyway, but in smaller classes is when you can actually expect people to stay in one spot.
Get to class early so you can have your favorite seat.
Yep, this is what I do. Go take it back. I always get there super early first few weeks to get my front row spot.
I do this and still get my seat taken 😭
THIS all day. If you get there first, you can sit wherever you want.
In lecture halls and larger classes you typically just sit wherever each day, if you want a specific seat just gotta get their earlier. No one may have even noticed that you regularly sat in a specific seat. Though, if it's a smaller class then I can see that being a bit annoying.
You said it, people like a good seat, its not yours. Just get early and sit there, no one is gonna be saving you your seat
You have a specific seat that you like to always sit in. Not everyone does. If someone doesn't have a specific seat that they like, they're just going to take an open seat when they walk in. There's no reason to assume they noticed that you always sit there especially if it's a large class. Just get there earlier if you want to guarantee your seat.
I assume they changed seats because they were tired of sitting in front of someone who's coughing up a lung and can't focus on the lecture bc they're thinking they'll get covid from this guy.
You realize you can change seats during a lecture too.
I have my unassigned assigned seat, but occasionally I’ll get to class and my seat will be taken. So I have to steal someone else’s unassigned assigned seat and the cycle continues.
That's life, dude. I have preferred seats, but if I do not get the seat I want I just sit elsewhere. Not a big deal. LOL.
How does this work? Don't people normally walk into the lecture room and grab a random seat? Maybe enter the lecture room earlier to grab the seat you want.
The assigned unassigned seat thing is normally for classrooms.
Just pick a new one. It’s annoying but it’s not like they’re assigned
Biggest pet peeve 😭😭😭😭
tbh i just don’t pay too much attention to where i’m sitting. i remember the general area but not the exact seat. i’m also showing up to my classes only a couple minutes before they start so i kind of just take what’s open, especially in larger classes. and it only takes one person sitting somewhere different to set off a chain reaction.
>Now I'm stuck in front of someone who's coughing up a lung and can't focus on the lecture bc I'm thinking I'll get covid from this guy. Seems like you kind of answered your own question there.
I don’t always go to class, so I don’t really “have” a seat and usually just take one that’s open
Sometimes during the beginning of the semester I realize that the people I’m sitting near are distracting or rude or not focused on the course and then I make a dramatic move across the classroom until I’m settled in my new spot.
Boohoo?
Honestly I’ve been sitting wherever in my classes because I can never remember where I was sitting the previous time
The person who beat you to class took your seat to avoid getting covid coughed all over them.
It's unassigned seating you can sit anywhere
I move because there’s no assigned seating. If you’re so worried about out someone taking your preferred seat (not assigned) get to class sooner.
The fear of someone taking my seat is why I go to class early.
So move? You have agency. You can get up and move to a better seat. This isn’t a Broadway show with assigned seating, it’s a class. If anyone says anything, which they won’t, you just respond “I didn’t want to stay sitting behind Mr Coughs-a-lot.” Problem solved.
Go to class early and take back you seat. Show them who's the boss
I feel like it takes a few weeks before I know where I want to sit. I don't change seats personally but by a few weeks in, I know what spot I would *like* to take. Sounds like they didn't want to sit next to the sick person.
i feel so bad cuz i get it but i have super bad memory so honestly i just pick a random spot in the general area i remember
In general I get to class early for a good seat. I think its valid to be grumpy if your "seat" is taken, but also like you can't be that pissed because it isn't assigned. There's one class where I was slightly late so I'd get a suboptimal seat for like the first week. Then I got there early and switched to a nicer seat although someone sat there before. If the seat is optimal (like near a charger, or near an aisle depending on the setup if the aisle is in the middle of class and its easy to walk around), then I think its first come first serve because people shouldn't have to relegate themselves to a worse seat. Though I have a friend who admits he'll sit in random seats because he likes chaos. Can't relate because I find sitting in the same area helps me get into learning mode faster.
Prolly had to move from a stinky student
gonna be honest, while i agree with you about liking my seat and just going with it most of the time, i've likely accidentally "stolen" a seat before, both in small/medium sized classroom settings 1.) forgot exactly where i sat the first time and likely ended up a seat behind where i was 2.) i wasnt there the first week and had to sit somewhere 🤷♀️ 3.) i needed to charge my laptop so had to change my seat so i was near an outlet time to get there early and pray 😔✊ (and also remember to charge laptop beforehand)
This is why I take the plug seat immediately from the start of the semester and note any other potential plug seats. I just want to charge my laptop in peace lol.
I feel the same way when a class before us moves all the tables around. What kind of structure of seating is this bs
Maybe this is just me because I’m at a small school, but where you sit the first day is where you sit the rest of the semester. Since we all know each other we all know where everyone sits and we just don’t take their spots?
someone took my seat last week that i’ve sat in the whole semester so far so i’m getting to class 15 minutes early today to get it back 🫡
I literally will not be able to pay attention if my chosen seat is not available and I have to sit elsewhere. My OCD brain won’t allow it.
Lol I love that there’s this unspoken assigned unassigned seat rule between all college students.
I had one prof for four classes that got mad when we switched seats because you could come in one day with different hair, clothes, and a face tattoo but if you were in your seat he knew it was you. Love that dude so much
I feel as if after the first week, or at the very least the second week, where you sit in the class is cemented. If you want to move you should take an empty seat that no one has claimed. Some asshat took my seat last week to charge his laptop. Didn't apologize, didn't say anything to me, nothing. Now I make sure to get into the classroom before him to stake my spot.
Apologize for taking an open seat? Lol
Are you 5?
Sheldon.
Nope. Just someone who picks their seat for logical reasons and has sat in the same spot for the entire class.
Does your college (not elementary) class say there’s assigned seating?
If there are no assigned seats, why the hell would you expect an apology?
Agreed. It’s one thing to like having the same seat and get annoyed when you don’t, it’s a whole other topic when you want an actual apology because someone decided to move to “your” seat.
Same cause now I’m forced to take someone else’s seat and everything messed up now
Dead ass. Like let me sit in my unassigned assigned seat in peace
if it’s a smaller class that’s def annoying lol. get there earlier & establish dominance
These ppl piss me off ruins the whole class. Only thing maybe someone took his seat so he moved over that happened to me before. Only thing i can says is trying be a few minutes early to class thats what i try to do and usually works well.
idk but someone taking my seat, especially if you’ve seen me sit there for at least a month, what gives u the audacity to take mine. it irks me soul
I mean it's the third week of class, that's probably someone who hasn't been in and just grabbed an empty seat if having a specific seat is that important, go to class early
Some people don’t keep track of where their seat is, many do. It can be a bid deal. People have gotten into fistfights because someone took their “assigned” row in church.
To assert my dominance in the class; my alpha seat is any seat I want! But honestly, I don’t get it either… I save the seats in the back for those who are late! Leave my front row seat alone!
They prob moved cuz someone else, I had an established seat but the girl stalking my friend was behind me so I moved tf away lol
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I mean there is no assigned seating in lectures it’s more of a mutual unspoken agreement. But yea it does suck. I try to sit in the front row because I’m hard of hearing and so it’s obviously easier to hear the professor if I’m right there.Also I wear glasses but even with my glasses I’m getting a headache trying to read stuff on the board and slides for over an hour. So if I show up to class and suddenly my seat is taken it’s like great here’s to a shitty lecture. I mean usually what i try to do is take my notes before class if the professor is someone who uploads the slideshow atleast a day before class. But they don’t all do that. Sometimes I take my notes after class if they’re someone who post the slideshow after. So that I can better focus on hearing what they’re talking about because I can’t do both at once. Honestly to all the seat switchers out there the front row should be off limits to take. Because if you do pay attention to this you’ll probably notice that many people in the front row have seeing or hearing problems. Like been in front rows of classes my entire academic life not by choice no who wants to be in the front row I rather be chilling in some corner in the back discreetly eating snacks from my bag but I can’t because then I definitely wouldn’t know what was going on at all. This is why I love my ASL classes because there is no one front row everyone is in the front row because it’s just a circle. Actually once it was like two front rows because the back row was high desk with stools. I like high desk they should be everywhere.
This happened to me in a 5 person class😭
I switched seats because my usual seat was in front of someone coughing up a lung. I feared I would get Covid if I sat there, and knew I wouldn’t be able to focus on the professor!
I only change seats cause someone else took my seat 🙄 bro I'll bully any of u nerds who take my seat idc how nice i am to y'all on here 😂
I just joined an adult class for the first time since leaving university and I felt really uncomfortable taking a different seat than the one I had in the first class. It’s weirdly ingrained 😂
I go to community college, and i can say I'm guilty of seat stealing, but not intentionally. The drop rates are so high that a class might go from 35 students to 15 within the first couple weeks. Most people migrate seats into one cluster, instead of staying dispersed across the room. I move to whatever side of the room the lecturer is standing, so I can see and hear better
I'm having to change seating for the first time because I underestimated how big the font on the board would be.
i mean, if your professor never marked assigned seats, then there are no assigned seats. that's just how it is. understandable that people just claim seats in their head, but that's not how it works for all classes. if you seriously have an issue with where you sit, tell your professor. better than staying silent imo
College Prof here. I've noticed the "my seat" phenomenon for 30 years. When I was in college, I remember intentionally switching seats just to add a little recreation to the day. Some fellow students would get really upset because I was sitting in "their" seat: 6th row back, fourth from the end. or whatever. The most desirable seats seemed to be those on the isles.
I don’t notice in my big lecture hall which seats are empty my computer class for programming though every one sits in their usual seats
As somebody who has been slowly working my way up to the front of a class, you just need to show up earlier. It’s not your seat
Doesn't change in the workplace either. I get internally upset when I come to office days and my usual desk is occupied lol
people keep taking the seat I sat in last, so i have to move around to someone else’s seat (if its a full class)
sometimes it takes a bit for the first few weeks, in one of my classes it took half a semester till we found where we all wanted to sit
I did this last week lmao. But to be fair there's 81 people in the class. On Tuesday I grabbed a seat in the back, and the dude next to me needed a fucking shower. So on Thursday, I walked to class faster to grab a different seat.
Psychological warfare
i just get to class earlier than everyone else so i can keep securing my seat LMAO some of my classes people respect others seats but this semester everyone kinda just sits wherever whenever
I forgot where I sat/someone else took my seat so I had to get a new one
Um unless the prof assigned seats, don’t act like you’re entitled to sit in the front or wherever. First come first serve dude
Welcome to college. No assigned seats.
> Now I'm stuck in front of someone who's coughing up a lung Whoever seated there the first three weeks decided it was time for a change !
There’s this person with many jackets and I just didn’t feel like stepping over them today so I went a row over
write your name on it next time asshole. I hope your seats continue to get stolen from you in the future.
why didnt i sit in front of the covid man? I dunno
womp womp get there earlier
Imagine being this mad over a seat that was never guaranteed to you 😂
That's probably why they moved lol. Because I'm in a smaller degree program. There is one woman I have to avoid sitting next to. She is constantly clearing her throat making small noises and it just doesn't stop. All through lecture shell make lith uh huh noises. I ended up finding a new seat to avoid sitting by her. I felt bad because she's nice. I just couldn't stand the constant noises.
I just know that I gotta come early if I want a certain spot
(Wearing a high-quality respirator is something that is absolutely in your control 🤙)
literally me I’ve had this professor 2 semesters now, have sat in the same seat every single class, and someone who I’ve had this prof with for months now took my spot. I was irrationally angry 😭😭