This posting is probably going to cause me to lose my job – but I just have to vent.
It’s September. It’s the Boston area. We all know what that means: the students are back. Generally, I love it when the students return. The streets are livelier and the city (well, cities: Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline) all feel so energized and alive and optimistic.
And I’m fortunate enough to work at one of the local universities. In fact, I work at one of the most prestigious universities in the country, if not the world. So why is it that the students here are so damn stupid?
I work at the law school. That means that students have gone through at least four years of undergraduate education to get to where they are today. Not only that, they had to be one of the top students in their Bachelor’s program to even get admitted to this ivy league school.
Yet after all this time, they still can’t comprehend the most simple things. Things that I recall learning in elementary school. For example:
I witnessed people being taught how to use the cafeteria yesterday. It’s quite simple, really: you enter the cafeteria, grab a tray, proceed to a counter that interests you (options include cold sandwiches, pizza, entree, grille, vegetarian bar, and salad bar), wait in line, order your food, grab a drink from the refrigerator section, go to the cash register, pay for your food (either with cash or your student ID), grab some plastic utensils and sit down. Aside from the option of paying with a student ID, these are procedures I was taught in the first grade. Why is it, then, that the woman at the cash register had to leave her post and drag the customer in front of me to the other side of the cafeteria to explain how to do something? Meanwhile, I waited…and waited…and waited.
Example #2: Another thing we learned in elementary school was to form single file lines – one behind another – when waiting in queues or when walking along corridors. Why is it that Harvard students can’t grasp this concept? Instead, I’ll be walking down a stairwell, corridor, or narrow outdoor path (as a result of on-campus construction) and the students will stop in the narrowest portion to chat with their fellow students. Meanwhile, people actually using the WALKway have to constantly say “excuse me” to get by. The part that kills me is that the students just move a step to let the person pass, then they go back to their original position. Do you think they’d realize “Gee, this is a tight fit for 4 friends to chat. Perhaps we should walk 5 feet over to that big open space?”
For the record, that thought apparently never crosses their mind.
Example #3. Elevator Etiquette. Granted, this is not something I learned in elementary school (seeing as there were no elevators in my village except at my friend, Katie’s mansion), but it is something that I learned as an adult. And it’s something I’m sure most students must have been able to figure out as an undergrad (this etiquette rule also applys to boarding subways and trains). Here you go, plain and simple: let people EXIT the elevator (or subway, bus, or train) BEFORE you try to squeeze your way on. You see, the elevator (or subway, etc…) is a small space compared to the place your’e standing outside. Once the crowds exit the small space, there’s more room for you to fit! Isn’t that neat!?
Exampe #4: Email etiquette. There’s a student who is now in her third and final year here (thank god). Her email address is nearly identical to mine so for the past 2+ years, I’ve been getting her emails. LOTS of her emails. I’ve notified her to tell her friends and family to change the address in their address books. I’ve emailed the people who sent me things in error to tell them that I’m not the person they’re seeking. TWO YEARS I’ve been doing this. Do you think they could stop sending emails to me? Of course not. I’ve given up…now I just delete them.
Example #5: Following instructions. The program I work for has a printer and photocopier for the students to use. There are clear instructions on how to replace the toner cartridges for both machines. In fact, I drafted these simple step-by-step instructions and taped them on the wall above the printer (the copier’s instructions are built in: there is a diagram that appears on a screen showing you exactly what to do). Anyway, the second the toner is low and their copies don’t appear crisp, I get asked for help. Why? Is it beneath them to do it themselves? Are the instructions in basic English too difficult to comprehend? Do they feel entitled to pampering? Well, I’m not even remotely paternal so they’re not going to be getting it from me.
Phew – that felt good. Now, I don’t think these students are stupid. Well, at least not intellectually. I’m sure they’re quite astute when it comes to book smarts. But common sense? Forget about it. Courtesy? What’s that?
September 5th, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 21 Comments
