# Does a student have a "right" to a particular seat in the classroom? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 27, 2017, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-student-have-a-right-to-a-particular-seat-in-the-classroom/785335 "2017-04-27T00:52:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![edwardcoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cab0a1/32.png) [@edwardcoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwardcoast)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-student-have-a-right-to-a-particular-seat-in-the-classroom/785335/21 "2017-04-30T04:10:15Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > I was in one class in college, and the professor offhandedly mentioned that he always had an easy time remembering names, because humans are creatures of habit and will sit in the same seat every class. My group of friends (and incidentally, most this professor’s students he was advising) **took it upon ourselves to sit in different sections of the class each day, forcing the entire class to move around for each instructional session**. Took the prof like three times longer to memorize everyone’s name. He was annoyed but respected that we’d figured that out (we ragged on each other a lot in his lab). > > So no, nobody has a ‘right’ to a particular seat. If you want a particular seat, get to class first. Otherwise, deal with it. And why did you do this? For what purpose? Seems like you would want the full benefit of the professor focusing on teaching you and whatever made that easier would benefit everyone in the class. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-student-have-a-right-to-a-particular-seat-in-the-classroom/785335/22 "2017-04-30T10:07:44Z")
> [@edwardcoast](#): > > And why did you do this? For what purpose? Seems like you would want the full benefit of the professor focusing on teaching you and whatever made that easier would benefit everyone in the class. Because it’s probably an urban legend. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-student-have-a-right-to-a-particular-seat-in-the-classroom/785335/23 "2017-04-30T12:43:57Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > Because it’s probably an urban legend. I’ve heard the one about the professor who was “trained” to only speak from one part of the room so many times that it’s a wonder there are any teachers left with the willpower to stand where they like. ---
**Author:** ![chaika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chaika/32/405_2.png) [@chaika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaika)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-student-have-a-right-to-a-particular-seat-in-the-classroom/785335/24 "2017-04-30T13:04:27Z")
I don’t assign seats in my classes and the students would no doubt view it as rather odd if I did. But it is a university so students are accustomed to sitting where they like. However, they nearly always stake out a spot and stay there for the entire semester. In some of my classrooms, there are specific desks or chairs that have been designated for students with disabilities. So in that sense some students do have a right to a particular seat. Otherwise, it’s a free-for-all. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-student-have-a-right-to-a-particular-seat-in-the-classroom/785335/25 "2017-05-01T01:01:12Z")
> [@edwardcoast](#): > > And why did you do this? For what purpose? Seems like you would want the full benefit of the professor focusing on teaching you and whatever made that easier would benefit everyone in the class. Because we knew the professor on a first name basis and it annoyed him. He played plenty of pranks on us in the lab. He was also the best professor I ever had and probably the smartest person I’ve ever met. > [@TokyoBayer](#): > > Because it’s probably an urban legend. This is the first time I had a first person story called an urban legend. 😛 It really did happen. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-student-have-a-right-to-a-particular-seat-in-the-classroom/785335/26 "2017-05-01T01:08:59Z")
I’ve noticed seating is fluid until drop/add week ends. The class size shrinks and there’s ample seating. Sometimes it takes a class or two before everyone has worked out where they want to sit. I’ve never had my seat taken after the 2nd week. I’d find another place to sit if needed. I never liked assigned seating. I much rather pick my own desk. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-student-have-a-right-to-a-particular-seat-in-the-classroom/785335/27 "2017-05-01T03:25:54Z")
Depends. Is it one of those desks where students can keep their stuff, or not? In the first case yes unless there are special circumstances. In the second case no. For the US since you usually make the students move around, I’d generally expect it to not be. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-student-have-a-right-to-a-particular-seat-in-the-classroom/785335.md?page=1)