That Guy: annoyances

By Josh Blair and Brian Schrembs
GUEST ESSAYISTS

Urbandictionary.com defines “that guy” as “one who does something stupid, annoying or pointless.” Below are certain scenarios in which you might find “that guy” in a classroom setting. Use the instances below as a guide to finding “that guy” in your class. If you fall into one of these categories, use it as a guide to better your collegiate decisions.

First and foremost, don’t be “that guy” who packs up his things 30 minutes before the class ends to try and set a trend among his classmates. It’s really annoying and it makes you look like an idiot. The class is an hour long. You can’t take that last 30 minutes and think about working out or tanning or something?

Secondly, don’t be “that guy” who tries to bring up irrelevant points in class to try and deter the professor from doing their job. Everyone thinks you’re a waste of space for talking to begin with, but when you try and banter with the professor about something so distant from the purpose of the lecture, it makes you look like even more of a tool than you already do.

Don’t be “that guy” who brings his laptop to class. Let’s be honest here: you’re not that important. Everyone in the class knows you have no intention of using your laptop for anything besides talking to your goofy friends about how hilarious you are for being on AIM in class, stalking the girl sitting next to you on Facebook or looking up “sweet vids” on College Humor.

Certainly don’t be “that guy” who has the head cold, but refuses to blow his nose. Chicks don’t dig that kinda stuff. Listen, friend: It’s really annoying listening to you suck your snot back into your head every 18 seconds. Why don’t you get up, blow your nose, swab your honker with a tissue and get back to class.

Now, we have all had classes with adult students here at Brockport, and usually, nine times out of 10, they are pretty cool people. Often hilarious and witty, they add a certain element to the class that most people seem to enjoy. However, sometimes there is “that” adult student.

We’ve all had at least one in our class before. They usually sit in the back. They tend to bring up some obscure point to try and show everyone in the class that they have been around the block a few times and might know more than the professor. They nod their head for the entire length of the class and argue just about every point other students in the class try and make.

During designated break periods for night classes, “that guy” tries to talk to the professor about something the professor doesn’t want to talk about. After class, they go back up to the professor with at least 72 questions about the lecture or about something irrelevant to the class.

Your classmates don’t think more of you for trying to banter with the professor about how great the ’60s were. Nobody is impressed that you know the most minute details about a certain topic.

As for breaks, leave the professor alone. They don’t want to talk to you on their break. They have been lecturing for an hour and a half. All they want to get is a coffee or a soda. They make office hours for a reason. Why not just sit there and hang out? Participate when it’s relevant and stop trying to supercede everyone’s intelligence around you.

By using our guide of how not to be “that guy” in class, you save yourself endless ridicule from your classmates.