Chattering in lectures

KittyeeTrix

This has got to be the most infuriating thing about going to lectures.......
Why go if you are only going to chat???
Go to the effing canteen instead and chat yourself bloody silly if you want to.
I'm sick to death of it and really peeved off when these "students" complain that the course is sooooooo hard and how do they expect us to pass when it is sooooo hard!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGHHHH:mad:

Am I in the minority here or how do others feel about it?

WesternNight

fluffyorganic1 wrote: »

This has got to be the most infuriating thing about going to lectures.......
Why go if you are only going to chat???
Go to the effing canteen instead and chat yourself bloody silly if you want to.
I'm sick to death of it and really peeved off when these "students" complain that the course is sooooooo hard and how do they expect us to pass when it is sooooo hard!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGHHHH:mad:

Am I in the minority here or how do others feel about it?

You're not the only one. Can't bloody stand it. Some lecturers call people out on it and that helps.

Psychology has been the worst so far for me (first year). From what I can tell the majority of people have no interest in being there, haven't a clue what's going on, seem to think that lectures are for meeting up with friends and planning the next night out. I should be encouraged by this, really, considering there are only 120 second year places up for grabs out of the 750+ in first year.

Was kind of hoping it would be different in second year...guess not, eh?

KittyeeTrix

WesternNight wrote: »

You're not the only one. Can't bloody stand it. Some lecturers call people out on it and that helps.

Psychology has been the worst so far for me (first year). From what I can tell the majority of people have no interest in being there, haven't a clue what's going on, seem to think that lectures are for meeting up with friends and planning the next night out. I should be encouraged by this, really, considering there are only 120 second year places up for grabs out of the 750+ in first year.

Was kind of hoping it would be different in second year...guess not, eh?

It's okay if you sit up the front but stray from there and you might as well be in the canteen sometimes. Sick of having to sit at the front like the "old mature student" that I am!!!!!
1st year science was a joke with 300+ in lectures and some of them constantly throwing down airplanes at us. Bizarre behaviour from the future "great scientific minds" of our country.

They've even gone so far as to organise a petition this week to complain about how one of the subjects is being taught as so many failed:eek:
Can you believe it??
Will be an interesting few weeks for sure.
Are you a mature student Western Night??

WesternNight

Technically, yeah, I'm 24.

I generally do sit close to the front because it's just so hard to concentrate. Not really bothered if it makes me look like a "swot" or whatever.

I was actually looking through the list of grades from one of my subjects and the number of people who failed is incredible. I'm not surprised though, to be honest. When there are over 600 people doing the subject and about a third of that show up regularly you can expect that. If only the ones who want to talk didn't bother to show up either..

sparklingdude

Basically everyone is entitled to "free fees" because we want everyone to get an education (or at least a degree).

This means that every idiot and his mom from Galway to Ballyfecknowhere are signed up to the auld "uni" for the first year. Better than the dole!

Ideally the university should trim the fat, but instead they are creating more and more useless degrees so they can funnel as much money (taxpayer's) into their half arsed and cash strapped research departments.

ethernet

This was really bad in first year -- talking (shouting!) and the paper aeroplanes. OK, so it wasn't the most revetting of material but you have the decency to keep quiet. One lecturer would pick people out individually and ask them to stop or, on occasion, stand beside them and continue the lecture using a remote. Another lecturer used to ask people to leave and continue their chat at Smokey's.

It probably is easiest to sit towards the front to get away from it.

KittyeeTrix

Thank god I'm out of 1st year, it used to be terrible. The paper plane throwing was a joke. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself.
Not so bad this year but I'm still very surprised by how the majority of the young students don't seem to give a damn about their course or exams

LadyMayBelle

This used to really annoy me in my undergrad, but it sounds like things have gone form bad to worse!
I'm no nerd (!) but i used to enjoy a good few of my lectures and sat closer and closer to the front to avoid the chattering..
Spoke to someone last week who said they were disgusted at the fact the lecturer paused when they and their friend walked in five minutes late and were chatting..I said 'eh, but ye were chatting and the lecture had started...'..and the reply was 'that's not his business, he should carry on!'
Students these days!! ....:)

Pinkshoes

I dont understand why the lecturers allow it. I'm only 24 but when I was in University before chatting in lectures wasn't tolerated. They would simply be told to leave, end of story! I sit up the front and people chatter away even as close as the third row. Drives me crazy!

Pinturicchio

It's been cold recently but if you wear a jacket surely you won't be that cold.




Oh, that kind of chattering....

KittyeeTrix

Pinturicchio wrote: »

It's been cold recently but if you wear a jacket surely you won't be that cold.




Oh, that kind of chattering....

Ha ha:D

whadabouchasir

Another thing I don't get is people bringing in laptops to lectures and going on facebook.what the hell is the point of this.Why would you even bother to get up and walk in to lectures if all you're going to do is go on facebook?And I also hate it when people sit at the edge of a row of seats then make a big fuss when you ask them to move in.Well of course I going to ask them to move in I'm not f***in sitting on the steps when there are seats there.What do these people expect when these lectures are packed to the door evey day?

KittyeeTrix

whadabouchasir wrote: »

Another thing I don't get is people bringing in laptops to lectures and going on facebook.what the hell is the point of this.Why would you even bother to get up and walk in to lectures if all you're going to do is go on facebook?And I also hate it when people sit at the edge of a row of seats then make a big fuss when you ask them to move in.Well of course I going to ask them to move in I'm not f***in sitting on the steps when there are seats there.What do these people expect when these lectures are packed to the door evey day?

I sit up at the front and don't generally see what is going on behind me but I have heard a few PC's starting up the last few weeks behind me.

Never even considered that they might be looking at facebook:eek:

WesternNight

fluffyorganic1 wrote: »

I sit up at the front and don't generally see what is going on behind me but I have heard a few PC's starting up the last few weeks behind me.

Never even considered that they might be looking at facebook:eek:

I've never seen anyone on a laptop in a lecture NOT looking at facebook. It's unreal. I've seen several people on it via their phones as well. I don't know how people would survive if it disappeared, to be honest. Glad I never got into it.

JayMcD

would it be an idea to forward this thread to the students union, high light the problem, get it mentioned in the student union email, stating that it wont be tolerated and guilty parties would be penalised in either grades or fines.

WesternNight

JayMcD wrote: »

would it be an idea to forward this thread to the students union, high light the problem, get it mentioned in the student union email, stating that it wont be tolerated and guilty parties would be penalised in either grades or fines.

I'd imagine that that would be highly impractical. Short of posting several security/other staff in lecture halls to identify everyone who talks in lectures, I really can't see how that could be achieved.

I think the best/only thing that can be done is, if someone is talking beside you, ask them to stop. Otherwise, we'll just have to get over it.

sparklingdude

Can't really do anything about it. A lot of Irish people are still pretty immature when they're finished high school. Half of the first years are like 12 year olds.

JayMcD

what i mean is warn students via email, and if students are giving a lecturer or other students trouble, their names and numbers be takin and they get penalised, kinda like a 3 strike rule, 1 warning, 2 small fine (€20) 3 a 1 - 2 week ban.
people continue to do things as long as they get away with it. they should have the maturity now their in uni but we dont live in an ideal world, but nor should we put up with it.

oneofakind32

It's something that becomes less of a problem as the years go on. I'm doing a taught masters now and the problem is non existent. I tend to sit close to the front these days, i'v learned thats there's no point in being there if your not going to try and take stuff in. I remember I had a maths lecturer who on several occasions asked people to leave if they were talking and if they didn't and continued to talk he'd single people out and make them leave. He didn't really care if you were there or not or if you left in the middle as long as you weren't talking! He had the right attitude if you ask me!

Nuigforce

JayMcD wrote: »

what i mean is warn students via email, and if students are giving a lecturer or other students trouble, their names and numbers be takin and they get penalised, kinda like a 3 strike rule, 1 warning, 2 small fine (€20) 3 a 1 - 2 week ban.
people continue to do things as long as they get away with it. they should have the maturity now their in uni but we dont live in an ideal world, but nor should we put up with it.

one glaring hole in that argument
"Name please"
"Mike Hunt" ( or Ulick Magee, Ivan erection Richard Heade Etc

JayMcD

Nuigforce wrote: »

one glaring hole in that argument
"Name please"
"Mike Hunt" ( or Ulick Magee, Ivan erection Richard Heade Etc

show me your student ID, don't have it? go home and get it, dont come in without it, and if you do forget it, dont bring attention to yourself.
1 - 2 people trying to be too cool for school and being singled out and thrown out, the rest will soon shut up.

JayMcD

Nuigforce wrote: »

one glaring hole in that argument
"Name please"
"Mike Hunt" ( or Ulick Magee, Ivan erection Richard Heade Etc

show me your student ID, don't have it? go home and get it, dont come in without it, and if you do forget it, dont bring attention to yourself.
1 - 2 people trying to be too cool for school and being singled out and thrown out, the rest will soon shut up.

KittyeeTrix

Our lecturers hand around a sign sheet which everyone signs. It will be used at the end of the year if a student is borderline pass/fail.

If they have been to all the lectures they will be given the benefit of the doubt and possibly helped over the pass/fail treshold.

It is for this reason the students are even bothering to turn up to lectures (in 2nd yr). They certainly aren't there in many cases to be taught

WesternNight

fluffyorganic1 wrote: »

Our lecturers hand around a sign sheet which everyone signs. It will be used at the end of the year if a student is borderline pass/fail.

If they have been to all the lectures they will be given the benefit of the doubt and possibly helped over the pass/fail treshold.

It is for this reason the students are even bothering to turn up to lectures (in 2nd yr). They certainly aren't there in many cases to be taught

We have a couple of classes where attendance is taken. But if the lecturer makes the mistake of handing out the sheets early on, people sign it and leave (which, in fairness, eliminates the chatter).

KittyeeTrix

I just don't get it, don't these young students know there is a recession and that there is not an infinite pool of jobs waiting for them in 2-3 yrs when they finish with their degree. They wil have to compete with many other job seekers

College is not about "just passing"!!!!! I think esp. in the economic climate of today you really need to be finishing with 1st class honours to get a grant research or if not, go out the door to prospective employers with a degree that will put the other applicants one to shame:eek:

That's my plan anyhow, be able to sit in front of an employer at an interview in a few years and prove to them that I am a dedicated, determined individual who would be an asset and not just someone who will get by with the least amount work needed.

Either that or hopefully be able to secure a research grant for a masters (fingers crossed) if the economic climate hasn't improved!!!

How do the rest of ye feel??
Are ye looking ahead and taking in the bigger picture or moving from exam to exam?

KittyeeTrix

JayMcD wrote: »

would it be an idea to forward this thread to the students union, high light the problem, get it mentioned in the student union email, stating that it wont be tolerated and guilty parties would be penalised in either grades or fines.

The SU are the very ones who have helped a class rep in one of my subjects to organise a petition to hand into the faculty complaining and demanding changes about how the subject is taught. This is from a class where there is less than 30-40% attendance:eek:

This was organised with the SU backing without even organising a sit down with the actual faculty to air any aggreviances.:mad:

Poor_old_gill

JayMcD wrote: »

what i mean is warn students via email, and if students are giving a lecturer or other students trouble, their names and numbers be takin and they get penalised, kinda like a 3 strike rule, 1 warning, 2 small fine (€20) 3 a 1 - 2 week ban.
people continue to do things as long as they get away with it. they should have the maturity now their in uni but we dont live in an ideal world, but nor should we put up with it.

Thats just a ridiculous idea- I think your kind of losing the run of yourself here

brianthebard

WesternNight wrote: »

I'd imagine that that would be highly impractical. Short of posting several security/other staff in lecture halls to identify everyone who talks in lectures, I really can't see how that could be achieved.

Can only speak for myself, but, I'm sure there's plenty of postgrad's like myself who'd be happy to do this security job for a small payment.

JayMcD wrote: »

what i mean is warn students via email, and if students are giving a lecturer or other students trouble, their names and numbers be takin and they get penalised, kinda like a 3 strike rule, 1 warning, 2 small fine (€20) 3 a 1 - 2 week ban.
people continue to do things as long as they get away with it. they should have the maturity now their in uni but we dont live in an ideal world, but nor should we put up with it.

I think Trinity have a system something like this. Maybe not the email aspect, but people acting as security in the lecture halls and fines for talking. I think someone earlier in the thread mentioned paper aeroplanes-tbh I can't believe adults are that dumb, and its clearly time that something was done about this sort of thing. Its not doing anyone any good but just letting it be.

spinandscribble

fluffyorganic1 wrote: »

The SU are the very ones who have helped a class rep in one of my subjects to organise a petition to hand into the faculty complaining and demanding changes about how the subject is taught. This is from a class where there is less than 30-40% attendance:eek:

This was organised with the SU backing without even organising a sit down with the actual faculty to air any aggreviances.:mad:

I have no knowledge of your course but in some cases there HAS been problems in nuig about how a subject is taught/graded and its needed to be corrected. I can think of two such times, one ending with a lecturer having to leave due to outrageous marking and the other is difficult to explain but was declared unfairly taught. I hate people who look for easy marks as well and complain college is hard if they don't even try, especially arts students, as as a BA holder i can tell you its completely piss easy to pass, but besides that courses can be incorrectly taught/graded.

KittyeeTrix

Okay,
Time to tell it like it is!!!!!!!

I'm 2nd year science undenominated. A petition has been organised to complain about the standard of lecturing delivered!!
The subject I'm talking about is Zoology and what is happening is an absolute joke!!
We have fantastic lecturers, I have emailed a few of them over the course of the year and they have been nothing but helpful.
The fail rate in the xmas exam was 65-70%. Fair enough you might say but considering only 40% of the class turn up to lectures, well, surprise surprise.
We were warned at the beginning of the year that zoology is not a subject that you cannot cram at the end of the year and yet here we are with students who believe they are due some recompense for their lack of work!!!
To be honest, I am fuming by the involvement of the SU with a minority of students who have only slacked from early on in the year and now have the audacity to accuse the zoology faculty of beimg incompetent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How bloody dare they????
I had an email earlier today from one of the lecturers who said that they are totally disheartened by the whole experience and I don't blame them!!

FFS,
Go to your lectures
Stop talking when you do go to them
Go to the library and do a bit of independant research and
Grow the f**k up
because your in University now and need to think on your own accord!!!

Please excuse the rant

WesternNight

That is pretty terrible fluffy, I'm not surprised the staff are disheartened.

To be honest, now that I've started college I can see why undergraduate degrees just aren't good enough for employers anymore. Looking at the majority of undergraduate students now, they seem unable to grasp the fact that the idea of university is to be educated. Socially, sure, but also academically. College, to them, means having the freedom to go out as many nights as they want. Any actual learning comes secondary. It's frustrating because I'd quite like my degree to mean something, but in reality it won't mean as much as it probably should.

sparklingdude

spinandscribble wrote: »

I have no knowledge of your course but in some cases there HAS been problems in nuig about how a subject is taught/graded and its needed to be corrected. I can think of two such times, one ending with a lecturer having to leave due to outrageous marking and the other is difficult to explain but was declared unfairly taught. I hate people who look for easy marks as well and complain college is hard if they don't even try, especially arts students, as as a BA holder i can tell you its completely piss easy to pass, but besides that courses can be incorrectly taught/graded.

2 true. The university suffers from two evils: a fair deal of crap students :pac:, and a fair deal of bitter and vindictive lecturers :mad:.

It's a vicious cycle.

Fair enough you might say but considering only 40% of the class turn up to lectures, well, surprise surprise, rant, rant, rant...

I don't think you pass Zoo Class by turning up for lectures. Probably just involves a fierce amount of memorizing (work) that today's retard just isn't up to.

steel_spine

I'm a few days late to this but I agree so much, I was actually thinking of posting in Ranting & Raving about it. If you you want to chat - fuck right off to smokeys - you won't have to pretend to whisper, and nobody in the room will notice or care if you're not there. You sure as shit aren't going to learn by osmosis anyway! Maths is the worst for it for me - can hardly concentrate on a subject I find difficult because of the constant hiss floating down from the back. Wish the tutors would roar at them.

I think the most perfect example of a self-fulfilling prophecy I saw was in a lecture on the central nervous system - a guy came running in a few mins late and sat himself down at the front, like he was all keen and everything. Then proceeded to take out his laptop and spend the rest of the lecture completely absorbed in Facebook - ignoring the lecturer altogether. On the back of his pre-med hoody - Malpractice Makes Perfect.:rolleyes:

fluffyorganic1, I'd no idea there was a petition about Zoology lectures, I'm 1st yr mature student and I found those to be good lectures, if a lot to take in. The woman for labs was a right battleaxe and some of the demonstrators didn't know quite what they were at, but they're only human & I'd no issue with the standard of teaching - maybe if people actually turned up for BOTH the 9am and 11am lectures on a Tues they wouldn't struggle so much, but a lot of the younger ones don't seem to take Biology seriously.
Biochemistry on the other hand I prolly would support a petition about, the lectures and tutorials were a bit of a joke - think those 17 lectures at the start put some people right off Bio and they just never came back....:pac:

steel_spine

ugh, to add to that, I'm also sick of people constantly asking the lecturers what's going to be in the exams.
a) they can't tell you, and b) if you actually make an attempt to learn and understand the course material you shouldn't have a problem. It's a lot to learn but there is time, and if you study wisely you'll be fine.
I don't understand the obsession with finding out what's in the exams so they can rehearse and regurgitate it. Wanting a couple of pointers as to likely subjects to help revision is one thing, but these people are all about passing exams like robots, and no interest in learning/applying anything.
No wonder the rep of degrees from Irish unis is going down the pan.
Does this come from just being out of leaving cert? (I'm not irish, but I've heard terrible things about it)

whadabouchasir

steel_spine wrote: »

maybe if people actually turned up for BOTH the 9am and 11am lectures on a Tues they wouldn't struggle so much, but a lot of the younger ones don't seem to take Biology seriously.

I have noticed that there are significantly more epople at the 11 am biology lectures than the 9 Am ones.I don't see why it's so difficult to attend,we ionly have 3 biology lectures a week.I don't believe this crap either about not being able to get yp that early,if you feel that the lecture is important you'll get up even if you didn't get home untill 4 the night before.

steel_spine wrote: »

Biochemistry on the other hand I prolly would support a petition about, the lectures and tutorials were a bit of a joke - think those 17 lectures at the start put some people right off Bio and they just never came back....:pac:

Ya at the start of the year there were 2 lecture halls and they were pretty much packed out every lecture.Now there's only the one and that's never full.Having said that i did notice that there were a few more at Pete smith's lectures

steel_spine

whadabouchasir wrote: »

Having said that i did notice that there were a few more at Pete smith's lectures

Yeah I think word got round about his. He was a legend to be fair

whadabouchasir

steel_spine wrote: »

Yeah I think word got round about his. He was a legend to be fair

This just proves that if you have a lecturer who is genuinely interesting and doesn't just read off powerpoint slides people will come in.

KittyeeTrix

steel_spine wrote: »

I'm a few days late to this but I agree so much, I was actually thinking of posting in Ranting & Raving about it. If you you want to chat - fuck right off to smokeys - you won't have to pretend to whisper, and nobody in the room will notice or care if you're not there. You sure as shit aren't going to learn by osmosis anyway! Maths is the worst for it for me - can hardly concentrate on a subject I find difficult because of the constant hiss floating down from the back. Wish the tutors would roar at them.

I think the most perfect example of a self-fulfilling prophecy I saw was in a lecture on the central nervous system - a guy came running in a few mins late and sat himself down at the front, like he was all keen and everything. Then proceeded to take out his laptop and spend the rest of the lecture completely absorbed in Facebook - ignoring the lecturer altogether. On the back of his pre-med hoody - Malpractice Makes Perfect.:rolleyes:

fluffyorganic1, I'd no idea there was a petition about Zoology lectures, I'm 1st yr mature student and I found those to be good lectures, if a lot to take in. The woman for labs was a right battleaxe and some of the demonstrators didn't know quite what they were at, but they're only human & I'd no issue with the standard of teaching - maybe if people actually turned up for BOTH the 9am and 11am lectures on a Tues they wouldn't struggle so much, but a lot of the younger ones don't seem to take Biology seriously.
Biochemistry on the other hand I prolly would support a petition about, the lectures and tutorials were a bit of a joke - think those 17 lectures at the start put some people right off Bio and they just never came back....:pac:

Jeez, I remember the biochemistry lectures from last year, god, they were painful.....I thought it very ironic the guy was giving lectures on energy whilst he was draped across the lectern with the utmost lack of energy I've ever seen any human exhibit!!!!

The petiton was organised by 2nd years which is where I am now and quite rightly came to nothing...

KittyeeTrix

steel_spine wrote: »

Yeah I think word got round about his. He was a legend to be fair

I was in undenominated science 1st last year but didn't have Pete Smith, what does he lecture in??

steel_spine

fluffyorganic1 wrote: »

I was in undenominated science 1st last year but didn't have Pete Smith, what does he lecture in??

He did the basic introduction to Microbiology. Funny guy . We've Aoife now who seems equally lovely.

KittyeeTrix

steel_spine wrote: »

He did the basic introduction to Microbiology. Funny guy . We've Aoife now who seems equally lovely.

I remember Aoife, she was fantastic last year. I kept micro this year but don't have her. She was very helpful and even gave us 2 questions of which one was certain to be on the paper. Really helpful:)

I loved her part of the course!!!

sparklingdude

I used to think it was more student's moaning because they'd been on the piss all semester, but it's true: the "Doctors" at this place are seriously inept.

Do they even communicate with each other? Just to make sure, like, they're not all shting on my head at the same time. What a mess.