You’re sitting in class just trying to get your work done when that one person sitting behind you starts doing that annoying habit again. Has it made you go crazy and unable to focus? Has it made you want to walk out of the classroom? Has it made you want to turn around and yell at them? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, some helpful tips to stop these thoughts is to stay calm, take a deep breath, ask them to stop nicely, and tell them to read this article. 

If you pertain to any of the people below, please STOP for yourself and everyone else’s safety!

The Muncher

Almost everyone hates a muncher. That one person who just never seems to be full. Right when you think they’re done eating, they pull out another snack. It is so hard to focus and get your classwork done when you are constantly hearing the crinkle of a wrapper, the crunch of a snack, and the slurp of water. I’m not sure where all these snacks keep coming from.

At this point, I don’t think there is any room for school work in their bag. They might as well bring a shopping cart to school instead of a backpack. I understand that some students don’t have a lunch or study where they can eat or really need a quick snack because they didn’t have time for dinner the previous night or breakfast in the morning. 

However, please be mindful of the other people around you who cannot focus and don’t want to end up doing their classwork for homework because they couldn’t complete it.

The Defined Jawline

Gum is a school essential. I can’t pull out a pack without my friends begging for a piece, and I will admit I always ask for a piece too. But if you’re going to chew gum, I don’t want to see it, I don’t want to hear it, I don’t even want to know you’re chewing it. It seems that all manners we were taught as children have gone right out the window.

We are high schoolers, chew with your mouth closed. And no, I’m not talking about when you are answering a question or talking to a friend and I can happen to see it in the back of your mouth. I’m talking about the overly aggressive chomping. Your gum is not the enemy, so stop trying to kill it.

Also, nobody wants to listen to blowing bubbles over and over and over again. If you are that desperate for a defined jawline, please try some jaw exercises at home instead.

Can I Borrow…

Have you ever experienced that one classmate who never has their stuff together who you always seem to be seated next to? Sometimes I feel that my teacher’s seating chart is out to get me. They are always asking to borrow something from me. Whether it’s a pencil, computer cord, or a piece of paper, they just never seem to have it.

I understand that things happen and you forget something at home, but I am not Staples. I don’t have an unlimited supply of pencils, and I can’t give you one every single day. Either vary the people you ask or set a reminder on your phone to make a trip to Staples because, honey, this store is closed. 

The Chatterbox

There is always that one person in your class who never stops talking and thinks they are hilarious. It is so hard to stay an engaged learner when one person constantly interrupts the flow of discussion just to repeat something that someone else already said or asks a dumb question the teacher already addressed. If you’re not going to pay attention, deal with the consequences instead of wasting everyone’s time and causing people to stop focusing. If you’ve missed something important, wait until the teacher is done explaining and ask them privately.

When we are working on an assignment and the entire class is silent, it is not an invitation for you to talk at the volume of everyone in the class combined with someone on the opposite side of the room who has no interest in talking to you. In the most respectful way possible, please stop talking and be quiet.

No Space Bubble

Another important lesson we learned as children is to not pop some else’s space bubble. So why are your feet kicking the back of my chair? Resting your feet on the chair in front of you might not seem like anything to you, but if the chair is wobbly it can be the most annoying thing in the world when you’re constantly being bumped back and forth when that person adjusts themselves. I shouldn’t have to wonder if we just experienced an earthquake because you can’t keep your feet on the floor.

Also, if you have long hair and you sit in front of someone please refrain from flipping your hair back because it gets on the desk behind you. Especially if we have laptops out. 

This might be an original experience, but the long hair covered my entire laptop screen and if this continues to happen, I will pull my scissors out of my bag. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable and ask you to move your hair and I especially don’t want to move it for you, so please don’t pop my bubble.

To sum up what we’ve learned today…

If you’ve experienced any of these first-hand, I strongly suggest you let that person know what they are doing is annoying because I can guarantee you are not alone in this fight. Most people will get embarrassed by you asking them to stop and won’t ever do that habit again. You can save everyone else in the room from having a mental breakdown. Be brave, and don’t back down from anyone. If this person is you, for the love of mankind, stop.