I have nothing against adults who go back to school. Heck, I was and am one; I didn’t graduate college 'til after 30. But why is it so many adults feel compelled to constantly share their life-experiences in long winded monologues that interrupt the flow of class?
I’m taking a ESL tutoring class right now and one older lady has actually had experience in ESL in China. Should be cool, right? No, she’s constantly launchig into long-winded boring stories that are only tangentially relevent. It totally wastes the time of the other students and we’re all doing this training after a full day of work so we’re tired anyway. Plus, it’s hard for anyone else to say anything since she’s always the first to start talking any time the trainer asks. And it got me so irritated I actually snapped at the young education major who started over-explaining something. Yeah, that was annoying too but I didn’t need to snap. I should be appreciative that she’s so enthusiastic. (so I pit me too)
And I’ve had this happen in countless community college classes. I feel for the teachers, they don’t want students to feel like they can’t speak up but, man, some people are disuptive. Shut up already!
If you graduated college after 30 years old, I must ask why you feel compelled to ask such an irritating question? I welcome older students expressing themselves in class, it gives the other students perspective. I’d venture to say of the students I have taught non would attempt such a whine as this.
Only when they have something to say that’s relevant to the material at hand. That’s the point of tremorviolet’s post, that this lady doesn’t really have that, but loves to hear herself talk. If I’m in a class, I’m there to learn, not to listen to anyone ramble about irrelevant crap.
I would broaden this and include life outside the classroom. Some folks just like to hear the sound of their own voice, I guess.
I do so hope I will not be that older person who yammers away on a subject, any subject, to the fatal boredom of all present. It is a prevalent form of rudeness, IMO.
Any chance of anyone challenging her? Or having a word with the prof?
Long winded soliloquy can be borish, however, unless they are being disrespectful, I’d encourage everyone to listen. Think about how difficult it can be to return to school after several years working, or raising children. That’s not an easy task, and it only stands to reason that they would have more life experience to talk about or elaborate a point.
In re-reading the OP I retract my curt tone, and choice of words…I see many a returning student and many times they are eager to tell everyone what they know. It is the job of the instructor to curb that as much as they can.
I’ve both taken and taught classes with returning students. Like the OP, I often found them to be very annoying. Always answering first, telling long stories, basically making the class more about them than the other students.
Now that I’ve gotten older, I understand a lot more where they’re coming from. A lot of it is insecurity – it must be intimidating to surround yourself with 18-20 year olds – hence the need to prove oneself. A lot of it is simply having the confidence that comes with age. Fact is, most of the students in most classes rarely speak up, either because they’re nervous or because they’re uninvolved. Returning students are usually neither – for them, going to college requires a serious time and money commitment and they’re there to get the most from it.
When you’re young, though, they’re irritating. No two ways about it. Such is life.
I’m an “older” student, and from my perspective, I wholeheartedly agree with the OP. I’m there to learn Chem 101, or whatever that class is supposed to be, for a reason. My reason doesn’t need to know about your lame hypothesis about laundry detergents and your kid’s food stains. Don’t waste my time, I don’t waste yours!
I also hate older students who try to schmooze up to the prof by talking “adult”- kids, vintage pop culture references, the frailties of getting older, etc. I have these things too, but I expect to be graded on my work, not sociability.
Sure, if this were a child development or psychology class, these things may be relevant, but otherwise, shut up.
Sometimes I would contribute because the young’uns in the class weren’t and I grew impatient waiting for them. I would want to bust some heads if nobody answered if I were a teacher, like the did in the old days. We can’t bust heads like we used to, but we have our ways. One trick is to tell ‘em stories that don’t go anywhere - like the time I caught the ferry over to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe, so, I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on ‘em. ‘Give me five bees for a quarter,’ you’d say. Now where were we? Oh yeah - the important thing was I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn’t have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones…
Yeah, I guess the OP sounds a little callous but it’s been a pet peeve of mine for a while. And I’m not “young”, I’m 38 and have been attending classes for gettin’ on twenty years now. It seems to be something I notice in lot of classes.
I agree that sometimes younger students don’t want to speak up. Particularly in those required classes no one is excited about like “Texas Government”. And a lot of times, the returning students do have something interesting to say. Other times, I just get the impression that they’re very lonely and nobody at home listens to them.
Younger students know how the class is supposed to “flow”, I think since they’ve been in classes more recently. It’s the recently returned returning students who are the most annoying, I don’t think they really understand sometimes when it’s appropriate to give a long story or that it’s kinda rude to not let anyone else answer.
But, I’m really just venting right now 'cause that lady is driving me so nuts. I get the impression she has always been a motormouth which makes me wonder how her ESL tutoring sessions will go…
In my experience, I would say this is not limited to returning students but encompasses many a “know-it-all,” especially in historical and literature studies. I end up having classes with many of the same people from quarter to quarter, and I always get this one girl – she’s smart and well spoken, but DAMN if she just doesn’t go on talking and talking and trying to “prove” her intelligence to the professor by relating every possible relevant fact she knows and not allowing anyone else to contribute.
It’s come to the point now where, if I end up in a small discussion group with her, I’ll interrupt the 4th branch of her third point supporting the evidence on page 52 by turning to another group member and saying, “Hey Cindy, didn’t you have another idea about that?” I basically cut her off and give another person a chance to go, or if no one else has something to say I’ll try to move the discussion forward. So far, she’s responded to my conditioning OK. I think she knows she talks to much and appears to overinflate her self-importance in the classroom, but can’t seem to help herself.
I’m also jealous of her, because she states her thoughts and structures her arguments far more succinctly and eloquently than I could ever hope to.
I’d like to take this opportunity to pit my younger classmates. I’m taking econ at a local community college. I have a BA, and would like to enter an MA program that requires a background in economics. I don’t have one already, hence the classes.
First off, I’m 26 and look younger so it’s not like I even look hugely out of place. I don’t loudly announce to my 19 year old classmates that I already have a bachelor’s degree. But I swear to god, I’m like the only person in the class interested in learning anything. I’m the only one who asks questions. I’m the only one who answers the teacher’s questions. I can almost feel the annoyance radiating from my fellow students. Is it because they are victims of the Chicago Public School system? Because they’re 19? What the hell? If you don’t care about economics, is there no other class you could take? Most of them seem to be in accounting or business or marketing programs (from a show of hands on the first day of class) - you’d think they’d be involved in the topic.
And so now I feel like the annoying person in the OP, which is totally unfair. I’ve seen my share of those people, and they’re obnoxious. I hate being made to feel like that person. So, Econ 202-R classmates, you suck.
My BA is in animation, and the teacher was showing 3d models of cartoon cars in the 3D Max class, and the Mach 5 of Speed Racer’s fame appeared, he asked what was that, “The Batmobile?” several students replied… :smack:
I had to answer so as to spare the teacher from falling into a prolonged awkward silence… yeesh! You are supposed to know some of the past stuff that was done in the filed you are supposed to love guys and gals!
But yes, I agree expanding on the answer would have been Irritating.
This is exactly what I am talking about! Shut up, shut up, shut up! Now all that is needed is another old person who has slightly different recollections or comes from another region/SES…then you get to listen to them disagree about useless details.
I am middle aged and thinking of going back to school for my Master’s. Please God, don’t make me one of these people…
Wow!!! I just posted a reply to another thread that fits perfectly into this topic. Allow me to put it here, as it seems much better suited:
I’m probably going to get jumped on for this, but…
I’m a freshman. I know I don’t know everything. In fact I’m sure I ask plenty of “stupid” questions, but nothing drives me more crazy then the “grown ups” in my classes. I share this opinion with many of my fellow students, as we’ve had many discussions on this very topic.
Don’t get me wrong, I have the utmost respect for any person who is willing to get out there and educate themselves. And this certainly isn’t a generalization, there’s always exceptions to the rule.
BUT-Jesus people! Don’t kiss teacher’s ass just because you are the same age!
Inevitably, the person looks something like this:
She’s wearing a Juicy Couture sweatsuit (with matching hat and high heels) and parked in the front row (nothing wrong with that). She has out her tape recorder (which the teacher explained there was no reason to use), four notebooks (which she doesn’t write a thing in) and lap top (which she uses to spend the period drawing in MS Paint). Every few minutes, she has to pipe in and reiterate what the teacher last said.
Prof: “Lincoln suspended Habeas Corpus during the Civil War”
Her: “So what you’re saying is… during the Civil War, Habeas Corpus was suspended.”
Prof: “Yes. By Lincoln.”
Her: “Abraham Lincoln?”
Prof: “Yes, Abraham Lincoln- the 16th President of the United States.”
Her: “Ah yes! ((laughing at her apparent wit and intelligence)) THAT Abraham Lincoln! The one who suspended Habeas Corpus during the Civil War! That reminds me of McCarthyism. That happened when we were kids, right Prof? You know, my kids…blah blah”
I swear that’s pretty much word for word from my class the other day. Similar things happen in other classes.
It’s trivial, I know. Still bugs me, though. :mad:
I’m 26 and just now going to school. I only ever bring up my age or real world exp. if it is directly relevent to class (i.e.- maybe once in the last 2 semesters). I also try my best not to be the only one that asks or answers questions but, damnit, when all the teacher ever gets when they ask a question is 25 blank looks then I’m going to raise my hand if I know the answer. On the same vain, I may be an idiot but if I don’t understand something I’m going to ask. If it’s something that only relates to me then I’ll ask the teacher after class but if it’s a general question about the work then I will ask in class. If the younger students have a problem with me trying to, you know, learn in school that’s their problem.
For the past two years I have been taking courses at the community college level. This time around they are all online. It cuts down on the whole “Know-it-All” thing for two reasons: you don’t have to bother reading their posts and there is a “lounge” for them to post all their useless crap. The profs I’ve had thus far have been really good about keeping students on task.
I’m convinced some people take classes for the simple purpose of showing all the other students how brilliant they are! As though it is their civic duty to grace the rest of us with all the details of their lives.
Well as a 48 year old taking undergraduate Creative Writing at the University I work at I’d say it’s also up to the rest of the class to make some bloody effort to educate themselves. ‘No, the Scots did not fight in Vietnam, all references to Highlands grass in my story not withstanding.’ It was your country and your war for crying out loud.
I try not to say too much but sometimes… :rolleyes:
Historical stories with technology 50 years distant, still filling your writing with passive voice in the final year, responding to email distributions before class with queries of detail that you should either know or could google on the very computer you are emailing me the question on (You don’t know what an M16 or an AK47 is? In the context of a Vietnam story, when they are shooting the damn things at each other?) JHC on a fish-pedalled tandem, the ignorance sometimes seems wilful.
I’d be as pissed off as the OP in this particular case though. No rambling stories from me but if I’ve taken the time to actually learn and apply some techniques from the books on technique (like Story by Mckee, great book on fiction writing) we’re meant to read and no one else had then I’m going to, as it is no doubt seen, pontificate if your work shows you need to know something that would improve it. Seminar groups are about learning from each other as well as the tutor.
Other times we take the class because it is required, though we could probably teach it but the department head won’t give us credit or let us substitute something new so the semester isn’t a total waste. Pontificating keeps us awake.
Kyla, what you said holds for most classes I took when I returned to school. When I was first in college at least I had a reason to be there, preferring it to Tagos’ Highlands. It was a lousy reason and I was a lousy student but many of my fellow students recently seem to have even less cause to be taking the class and have the enthusiasm to match. I blame professors who require their students to attend class. Nobody can do like I did and say, “Poli Sci? Nothing new for me there. I’ll show up for the midterm and the final.” The bad students have to be there whether they like it or not and don’t like their naps interrupted by geezers wheezing on about Illinois’ failure to ratify the ERA despite the best efforts of the grassroots workers.
This isn’t being an annoying returning student, this is being a good student. Fact is, most undergrads don’t participate in class unless forced to. I sure didn’t, and I was a pretty decent student academically. Part of it is residual teenaged insecurity – you don’t speak up because other people might think you’re stupid! Or a know-it-all! Or a teacher’s pet! Better to play it cool and stare blankly. It’s pretty stupid, since classes are so much more fun and useful if you actually interact and ask questions, but it’s a fact of life.
The other students may still find you annoying, of course, but as long as you don’t dominate or redirect class discussions, I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong.
