Prepotency and Otherwise

Yesterday was my first day of class. Unlike liberal arts schools in the US where you can pick each individual class, Christ College uses a system called “threads”. I signed up for the 500 level PES thread, which means my classes fall under the topics of Psychology, Economics, and Sociology. Rather than changing classrooms throughout the day, the other PES students and I remain in a homeroom and our teachers come to us. It’s like elementary school again.

Because the same students are in all of my classes, the dynamics of each class depend completely on the instructor who is teaching it. In my Abnormal Psyc class, the teacher has absolutely no control over anything. Despite her best efforts to quiet the class by yelling and banging a piece of wood on her desk, the students could not be pacified. They talked and laughed amongst themselves for an hour while the instructor continued teaching loudly over them.

Things were a bit different in Econ and Sociology. I heard both instructors referred to as “Hitler”, and my classmates were completely silent and attentive during their classes. You stand when they enter at the beginning of the period, and if you’re late, you remain at the door until they acknowledge you. Also, my Sociology teacher makes students stand on their desk if they are caught talking. Although I suspect they are secretly warm and good-natured, in the classroom, they command the submission of banshees, demons, and other mystical terrors.

Short excerpts from the day:

(A student is caught daydreaming)
Instructor: Why are you looking out the window?!
Student: Uh, I’m sorry, Sir.
Instructor: Good. What’s out there, a monkey? Pay attention!

(A student enters late)
Instructor: Why are you late?
Student: There was traffic, Sir.
Instructor: That is a bad excuse; you should have left earlier. Go sit down.

(It is discovered that a student did not complete her assignment from the previous day)
Instructor: Get out of here. Go stand outside.

(A student is caught sneaking a drink of water)
Instructor: What do you have there?!
Student: A bottle of water, Mam.
Instructor: Come up here. Now go outside and fill it to the top.
(Student leaves the class, then returns)
Instructor: Now stand there and drink it.
(Student stands in front of the class and chugs the entire one liter bottle)

(Student caught smiling while the teacher is giving his lecture)
Instructor: You! Why are you smiling?
Student: No reason, Sir.
(Instructor stares the student down)
Instructor: There will be no unnecessary smiling in my class.

(A student is caught whispering to another student)
Instructor: You! What is your name?
Student: Zeeshan, Sir.
Instructor: Come to the front of the class!
(Student walks forward)
Instructor: What did you get in your Economics course last semester?
Student: 74, Sir.
Instructor: That is a poor score, go sit down.

My first day was awesome. I made some cool friends, and I can’t wait to go back tomorrow.

Oh, and I ran into my Econ professor on campus later that day. He insisted we have tea, and turned out to be a great guy.