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Want to
go to the head of the class? Try sitting in front,
for starters!
Sitting
in Front Can Make a Huge Difference!
By Feona
Sharhran Huff
September 2001
The CollegeBound Network NewsClick --
Remember the days of boarding the bus with your
classmates, bound for a fun-filled field trip
to the Washington, D.C. zoo? To avoid sitting
directly behind the bus driver or in your English
teacher's view, you headed straight to the back
of the bus -- where all the cool kids congregated
and chilled out. Besides, this was the ultimate
place to earn your popularity cool points.
This tactic of sitting out of sight may have
worked for your field trip days, but when it comes
to scoring big in an academic setting, you'll
want to sit at the head of the class. That's because
positioning yourself just inches away from your
college professor is where you'll have a greater
chance of retaining important test-taking pointers
and securing stellar grades, suggests Laurie Hazard,
director of the Academic Center for Exellence
(ACE) at Bryant College, Smithfield, RI. In the
six-week study strategies course offered by ACE,
Hazard discusses additional benefits of sitting
in front of the classroom. You will...
Make eye contact with your prof'. When
you're sitting in the back of the classroom, it's
a challenge for you to assure that the prof' sees
you paying attention to the lecture, and not goofing
off. The great thing about sitting in the front
of the class is that no one's playing the guessing
game. Besides, if you wanted to respond to a question,
your prof' can tell by the enthusiasm in your
eyes (if he could only see them)!
Read your prof's non-verbal communication.
Let's say your prof' was going over information
for next week's exam, and his eyes got larger-than-life
when he got to a particular section in a chapter.
If you were sitting up close, you'd know that
this information was extremely relevant. Back-row
students might not be able to notice these hard-to-spot
hints.
Hear clearer. "I want you to read
chapter eight and be prepared for a quiz tomorrow,"
says your physics prof'. Or, did he say, "Read
chapter 18 and be prepared for a quiz on Tuesday?"
If you're sitting in a lecture hall with 300 other
classmates, and you're sitting in the back, can
you know what was said for sure? Asking around
will just turn into a class-wide game of telephone!
Minimized the temptation to daydream.
Bottom line -- in the front, you'll have no choice
but to be alert and attentive to the lecture,
which rules out entering daytime dreamville. With
the prof' so close to your desk, why would you
risk the chance of getting busted and embarrassed?
The next time you're contemplating making the
last row your final seating destination, think
about the effects it'll have on your learning
retention and overall grade. Remember, you want
to excel!
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