<p>This has been bugging me since I started college, and now I'm a sophomore and I still haven't figured it out. When I walk into my larger lectures, there are almost always some speedy students who are there before me. If there is a row of seats that runs from the side walls to the aisles, these are students sitting right at the aisle end, leaving the entire row between them and the wall empty. This means that if I am forced to use any of those vacant seats I have to climb over their laps, which could necessitate they put their desk down or move their laptop, coat, coffee, or legs. The same thing happens even in the center section of chairs, where presumably students seated directly the middle of the row would have the ideal view of the blackboard.
I have checked, and the view is nearly identical from these aisle seats and the seats a few meters closer to the wall. It's not even that I want these students out of my way, but I can't understand why they subject themselves to my intrusions. When I get an empty row, I go right next to the wall so there is no way anyone will climb over me!</p>
<p>At least a few of you aisle-loving students must be here on CC: please enlightening me as to your reasoning!</p>
<p>Can’t speak to college necessarily, but I can speak to church pews … perhaps same thing. My H sits on the end of the row for a couple of reasons: 1, I sing in the choir and we come down out of the loft into the main sanctuary after we sing. He sits on the end so I can slide in on the end without climbing all over several people after things have begun. Perhaps some of these folks are saving seats for latecomers, too. 2. He and I both have to get up early as we participate in something that goes on at the end of the service but before ordinary dismissal. Again, perhaps some students know they must get up early to make it to another class and want to zip out. Lastly, and not so much related to church pews as it is to airline rows … lol, but there’s more leg room on the aisle. Plain and simple … comfort.</p>
<p>I’m occasionally one of these students, but only in classes where I hand write my notes - I’m left handed and the left-handed desks are usually only at the very end of the row. I do feel bad sitting at the end though, and often go all the way in even though it’s incredibly uncomfortable to have to twist around to write. I would imagine that “end sitters” are often either left-handed or know they have to leave class early and don’t want to have to disturb everyone else.</p>
<p>I’m one of these students, hehehe. Here are three reasons why I like the aisle seats:</p>
<p>(1) I hate being sandwiched between two people in a lecture hall. So uncomfortable. I must have one side of me freed!
(2) Sometimes I get up to go to the bathroom twice in a lecture to get tissues from the bathroom or blow my nose (I suffer from allergies). I’m not disturbing anyone when I sit in the aisle seats when I have to get up. If I didn’t sit in the aisle seats, I would feel reluctant to get up and would have to resort to “sniffling” – and you know how annoying that gets.
(3) Two of my lecture classes last semester I needed to leave 5 to 10 minutes early.</p>
<p>Haha. I know exactly what you’re talking about and it annoys the poo out of me! No idea why they do it, other than just having the aisle seat so they can get out of there as quickly as possible… but then again, usually the ones that are more worried about leaving ASAP are NOT the ones that get there first… so I really just don’t understand this whole phenomena.</p>
<p>Check how many of them are tall people. I would always try to sit on the end because normal seats felt really cramped, and I’d wind up fidgeting a ton.</p>
<p>I’m a lefty and in the rare occasion that there are actually left-handed desks in lecture halls, they’re always on the aisle for convenience so I end up there.</p>
<p>Also, if the lecture is large (over 100 students) then there will be a big mob to fight through at the end, and if you have a class directly after, it makes sense to sit in the aisle so you can get out first. I always try to sit in the aisle so I can get out first (and i’m always on time to lecture, I don’t think the late ones are necessarily more concerned with leaving early)</p>
<p>sometimes i also like to randomly leave in lecture to wander around, idk why - I hate sitting there for 1 hr 15 mins straight…i blame it on my restless leg syndome :]</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies, everyone! I will try to notice whether the people at the end of the rows are tall, leaving early, wandering, or left-handed. I hadn’t noticed any trends like this, but perhaps a lot of people fit at least one these categories.
I am never in a rush to leave, so I might be missing that angle on it. I do sympathize with the desire to avoid being sandwiched between two people. I had to spend an hour this morning in such a position and it’s just not ideal.</p>
<p>If I had two classes back-to-back and needed to get out the door quickly, I might well make a point of arriving early specifically so that I could get an aisle seat.</p>
<p>Also, if someone is generously-sized, he might be quite uncomfortable between two other students. If the room is generally not full, someone arriving early and sitting on the aisle can lay claim to the aisle seat and the one next to it with strategically-placed belongings.</p>
<p>And, while this is probably not an issue for college-aged individuals, some of us older folks need to be able to get up to visit the restroom during the lecture.</p>
<p>When I was in med school, all of us lefties raced for the left handed desks. I only remember that being relevant in the for right and center sections.There were never enough.</p>
<p>I sit there because there’s a seat there. I keep my bag pretty much under my seat/legs, and don’t mind turning to the side to let someone through. I get claustrophobic being in the middle.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>You can leave easily and fast without waiting for people on your row to pack their stuff and move. </p></li>
<li><p>I hate being in the middle between people. </p></li>
<li><p>I can have extra leg space by having my legs face towards the sides.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>This really interesting. I value my own space highly, and I always have more of it if I go right against the wall or into the middle of a row. Unless the class is absolutely packed (which is about half my lectures this semester, unfortunately) people are not likely to sit right next to someone in the middle of a row, so I can set my stuff on either side of me. If it looks like someone is coming down the row to sit next to me, I hurry to move my things, of course.</p>
<p>Whether in a lecture hall of 300+ or in a regular classroom, I always tend to sit to the left or right. Just as personal preference, I’ve never been too fond of sitting in the center. I’m the same way on airplanes; I absolutely have to have the window or aisle or I’ll be miserable. Most of the pros have already been mentioned: more space, easier/faster to leave, not being sandwiched. I also find that in some lecture halls you have a clearer view of the board/projector, as you don’t have to look over/between heads. There’s no armrest awkwardness. I don’t see what the big deal about scooting by is, most people will quickly move their stuff out of the way if you’re not late.</p>