I love UCSD. I think everyone knows that. But I have started to realise something really different about American Students and English students. They don't really have the same level of respect for teachers as we do (and I am generalising, remember).

Say my lesson ends at 12.20, people are packing up their bags at 12.10 and leaving. I can't hear a single thing over their  noise as the professor tries desperately to hold the attention of the class. It isn't even a long class - it is an hour and a half! I understand some people need to get to other classes but it does not take twenty minutes to walk to classrooms on this campus. Also I doubt 300/310 students all have classes far far away after this particular classroom. I hate seeing the professor look so disheartened by such a horrible response.

Do you know what the response would be in England if this happened?

"EXCUSE ME, SIT DOWN, DID I SAY THE LECTURE HAD FINISHED! THAT WILL BE AN EXTRA TEN MINUTES FOR EVERYONE AND FIVE MINUTES MORE FOR EVERY PERSON I HEAR FROM NOW ON PACKING AWAY!"

You just wouldn't dare. I am barely brave enough to go to the loo during a lecture let alone leave.

It just seems so bizarre to me. But maybe that's just me.

On other professor related notes -


Why do teachers think they are cool if they mention Fifty Shades of Grey? I mean seriously! What is with that book?

"Arjuna didn't see things in black and white...he saw things in multiple shades of grey...not FIFTY shades of grey though!" wink, wink, laugh, laugh.

What! A teacher should not mention such things! Especially hippy like teachers who should not know a single joke about Fifty Shades of Grey. He then proceeded to joke that Arjuna (Hinduism figure in the Gita) wasn't so nice that Krishna whisked him off to have his way with Krishna's sister. It was just an odd less and few statements from my religious studies teacher.

AND

This same professor, on Wednesday, really embarrassed himself by saying
"So are there any new students in this class today, any? No I didn't think so, we had a new one on Monday but he left half way through so I guess we won't be seeing him again." Pause. "Oh well his loss, we don't need him anyway, clearly couldn't handle the class"

Two seconds later -

"Oh you're there" pointing to the boy right in front of me.

WHY! Why a) say such an awful thing and b) admit that it was the guy in the classroom. I would just have seen him, clocked he was there, and pretend like it was some other student who had joined the previous lesson and was then not there that present day.

Teachers....x