There is an etiquette required in the classroom as in most other places. Students should have already heard more than enough of these things. Nevertheless, there may be a few more things that other professors or instructors would be likely to point out, especially in the recent classroom environment.

Cellphones
   Today, cellphones are indispensable in our lives, but should not be in the classroom. Although allowed to have their cellphones with them, students should keep them turned off or set to a silent mode during class. The situation is, however, that this rule seems to be considered nothing but a suggestion. If some foreigners ask me why Korea has become one of the best cellphone-manufacturing countries, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend sitting in any one of the classes at their nearest university. Lots of students may look like digital device developers.

Stepping Out
   I remember that as a middle school student, one of my classmates wet his pants because he was too shy to excuse himself for nature’s call. I don’t mean to say that students need to prepare extra clothes just in case for my class. Yet there are too many students stepping out during class and I am wondering if such a large number of students have problems with their bladders. Recess is not only a time for eating snacks.

Absence Due to a Mild Cold?
   Students with reasonable causes can be allowed a leave of absence without penalty. Most, if not all of, the absences, however, are on account of mild medical treatments. A leave of absence due to illness has been left to each professor’s discretion; most professors are generous enough to grant leaves of absence to students with required documentation. Even so, there are too many sick students who manage to come to school. They are just sick! Now I realize why so many clinics continuously mushroom on every corner of the street.

Grade Haggling
   Some professors have trouble with grade haggling from students. Among the most troublesome students are those who play hooky, requesting a passing grade at the end of the semester on the ground that they are preparing for a job; other professors are asked to raise grades. In large part, these are attributed to grade inflation, a phenomenon occurring in the universities around the world, and not only in Korea. Understandably, most students may want to have a leg up on others in the job market by getting better grades, but professors cannot meet all students’ respective demands.

Other Miscellaneous Things
   There are an increasing number of students who display overly familiar physical intimacy during class;
they are touching, hugging, nuzzling, kissing, and even wrestling each other. If they seek uninterrupted time for playing, they are in the wrong place.


   Over time, university professors have been faced with different and sometimes embarrassing situations that they can find harder to handle than before. Remember, the most open-minded professors have their limits regarding what is acceptable or not; students are held entirely responsible for their own actions. Only slightly more mindful manners could give you a big edge on others from the start.

By Instructor Jung-Hun Um Dept. of English Language and Literature

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