Which factors influence your seating preferences on the first day of a course?

<p>I sit in the center. If I intend to pay attention, I sit where I have a good line-of-sight to the lecture content: near the front to see the professor or whiteboard, or further back if a document reader or projector is in use. If I am going to do something else, I sit near the back.</p>

<p>Studies show students who sit in the front do better. As for not liking people behind your for extended periods, get over it and sit in the front in order to do better.</p>

<p>Generally I choose where I sit in ratio with how much I feel I need the professor to know and/or like me. If I know the class is going to be killer, I’m in the front row, dead center. If it’s going to be average, I sit in the middle to back. If it’s a class I’m retaking from community college, back row it is! The only exception is in some of the classrooms here (especially in the Chem building) the projector projects to above the very tall chalk boards so I have to sit farther back if I want to be able to view the screen well.</p>

<p>I generally feel too overwhelmed if I sit in the front. I prefer the anonymity of the back. Maybe I’d do better if I sat in the front but I don’t really care because it makes me uncomfortable.</p>

<p>

Correlation ain’t causation. You think a certain kind of person might be more likely to sit in the front?</p>

<p>I didn’t realize how bad the parking situation was in the morning, I had to walk several blocks and by the time I arrived the only seat where I wouldn’t have to sit right next to someone was the front row. Usually I sit 3 rows back to avoid the neckache of looking straight up at the power point. Instructor is very soft spoken with an accent, so just as well I guess. Last semester I sat towards the back and was surrounded by chatting texter’s the whole semester and had trouble hearing the lectures.</p>

<p>Usually the first three rows unless the professor is known to call students in the first rows. I tend to be shy when answering in front of the class especially a lecture hall of 200+ students.</p>

<p>In my school’s largest lecture hall, which houses our freshman 500-person Physics class both semesters (for all the engineers and physical scientists), there is the floor which fits probably about 350, and the balcony, which is about 150. First day I sat smack in the middle of the floor. In perfect view of the professor. Little freshman year later realized this didnt matter so I ended up on the balcony after a month. Just more comfortable and in perfect view of the board, or rather screen</p>

<p>In my 150-seat Calc II class I at first sat along the sides of the room, either one. No clue why. But eventually migrated to the middle with a group of people I became friends with.</p>

<p>Small classroom for writing, i sat right in the front, on front of the professor. I thought it would be a good idea since it was a small class and I’d connect better with the guy, and I was right.</p>

<p>OP,</p>

<p>Let me guess, the reason you don’t like people behind you is that they might look at your paper/computer during class if they missed something the prof said and you wouldn’t want to do anything (even if it’s inadvertently) that might help out your “competitors”?</p>

<p>Apologies if I am confusing you with a different poster that I’ve seen make some pretty…interesting…comments on these boards.</p>

<p>I hate sitting in the center, so I usually sit on the left, second or third row.</p>

<p>

<a href=“http://www.channelone.com/life/school/take_a_seat/[/url]”>http://www.channelone.com/life/school/take_a_seat/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>It all depends on class size, for me. If it’s a huge auditorium class, I try to sit in the first 5 rows because I know I’d get distracted by something if I sit too far back. If it’s a small classroom, I sit towards the middle or back. It’s like, I try to be within a certain distance from the professor.</p>

<p>Decided to revive this thread instead of making another since my question relates.</p>

<p>After the first day of the course is it ok to sit in a different seat? I know it may seem like a dumb question, but I am wondering. Last semester at a different college everyone seemed to stick to their same seat from first day. None of my professors asked for a seating chart like last semester so I would think that it would be fine to pick a different sit.</p>

<p>Just curious because in one of my classes I would like to sit in a different spot from last time.</p>

<p>^ People do, and it’s not a problem. being somewhat absent-minded at times, I frequently forget where I sat the time before. At worst, I get funny looks from people who show up late and are used to placing their own seat in relation to mine.</p>

<p>I’m always in the front row, as close to the door as I can be.
Front row because I don’t see well, near the door because I have anxiety problems</p>

<p>My hearing. If I’m not in the front row of a lecture theatre, I can’t hear the lecturer. I also rely on lipreading, so I need to be close.</p>

<p>I normally sit front and center, because I can see the examples and important key concepts written on the board and I can hear the professor perfectly, no matter how soft spoken he/she is. Plus, those who seem to be more attentive and sit in the front/center tend to get called on more and tend to get their questions answered more. :)</p>