Let them eat during class
Katie Ramsey
Issue date: 10/16/06 Section: Opinion
Countless students have back to back classes this semester. Some may have two classes, one after the other as others may have 12 credit hours, with all four continuous after each other.
Whether staying all day on campus for classes or coming straight from work to school, students are left with little time to grab even a snack from a vending machine. They grab a seat in the classroom and eat basically what is their lunch or dinner. And when they do, they're told to "hurry up and finish" by some professors.
As stated in one syllabus under classroom behavior, students are expected to comply with university regulations regarding civility, attendance and appropriate classroom behavior. Two examples are "eating and drinking in the classroom" and "leaving lecture and coming back with food and/or drink."
Yes, sometimes munching away on food like chips can be disruptive. Crinkling of bags turns some eyebrows towards the hungry student. Yet what the university and professors need to do is grasp the reason why students turn to eating inside the classroom during lecture.
Time is a major factor. Plenty of students do not have time to grab something to eat from the CLO Grab and Go, Oaken Arbor Café, Outtakes and even the vending machines and eat outside the classroom. Two Chronicle staffers have three afternoon classes back to back and resort to not eating due to the lack of time. There shouldn't be any harm in excusing a student to eat quietly during lecture. A student might come straight from work to campus for a class and brings McDonalds. They most likely will not be able to eat until much later. Why not excuse a hungry student?
Sure they are limitations to this "pardon." Munching away at chips and popping gum are ways to disrupt class but as college students, most of us do know not to be that rude. With it being college and not high school, it's unnecessary to call out a student and "hurry up and finish" a snack. What harm is for someone to eat a pastry or drink from a bottle of water?
Consider this scenario: in "respect" to the professor and fellow students, a student decides to grab a bite to eat in passing time, usually ten minutes in between. There's the risk of being late for class. Standing in line itself can take ten minutes. A student walks in late, a professor stops lecture and watches them until they sit down. Sometimes an unnecessary sarcastic remark is made. So either way the student loses.
There needs to be more understanding and leniency from some professors. Consider the reasons and excuse them. As long as they're not being disruptive by drinking from their bottle of water or snacking on a pop tart, get over it.
Big thanks to those selected professors who are not bothered by snacking students. Thank you for being understanding.
Whether staying all day on campus for classes or coming straight from work to school, students are left with little time to grab even a snack from a vending machine. They grab a seat in the classroom and eat basically what is their lunch or dinner. And when they do, they're told to "hurry up and finish" by some professors.
As stated in one syllabus under classroom behavior, students are expected to comply with university regulations regarding civility, attendance and appropriate classroom behavior. Two examples are "eating and drinking in the classroom" and "leaving lecture and coming back with food and/or drink."
Yes, sometimes munching away on food like chips can be disruptive. Crinkling of bags turns some eyebrows towards the hungry student. Yet what the university and professors need to do is grasp the reason why students turn to eating inside the classroom during lecture.
Time is a major factor. Plenty of students do not have time to grab something to eat from the CLO Grab and Go, Oaken Arbor Café, Outtakes and even the vending machines and eat outside the classroom. Two Chronicle staffers have three afternoon classes back to back and resort to not eating due to the lack of time. There shouldn't be any harm in excusing a student to eat quietly during lecture. A student might come straight from work to campus for a class and brings McDonalds. They most likely will not be able to eat until much later. Why not excuse a hungry student?
Sure they are limitations to this "pardon." Munching away at chips and popping gum are ways to disrupt class but as college students, most of us do know not to be that rude. With it being college and not high school, it's unnecessary to call out a student and "hurry up and finish" a snack. What harm is for someone to eat a pastry or drink from a bottle of water?
Consider this scenario: in "respect" to the professor and fellow students, a student decides to grab a bite to eat in passing time, usually ten minutes in between. There's the risk of being late for class. Standing in line itself can take ten minutes. A student walks in late, a professor stops lecture and watches them until they sit down. Sometimes an unnecessary sarcastic remark is made. So either way the student loses.
There needs to be more understanding and leniency from some professors. Consider the reasons and excuse them. As long as they're not being disruptive by drinking from their bottle of water or snacking on a pop tart, get over it.
Big thanks to those selected professors who are not bothered by snacking students. Thank you for being understanding.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 4
Rose
posted 10/09/08 @ 12:48 PM CST
That was awsome! i'm a highschool student and even in some classrooms there are teachers who still don't let us eat! power to the people! After all what are they suppose to do for DIABETIC STUDENTS!
a concerned instructor
posted 10/13/08 @ 10:58 AM CST
While I would certainly call out a student who was eating noisy food (like chips), intentionally making a mess, or habitually leaving garbage around the desk rather than using the trash can, I'm fine with my students eating and drinking (quietly) in class. (Continued…)
suolas
posted 4/06/10 @ 6:11 PM CST
Cheers for writing about this. FYI - here's some more info about watch bones you might like!
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