For those returning to college. You may enjoy.

[Madzozs]

So today was the first day back at school for me sicne December. I graduated a local community college and took last semester off. This time I returned to the University at Albany(of which I have failed out of once already). Now I return as a History major.

Being accustomed to a small campus and fairly comfortable settings, I forgot how much I hate the awkward silence before classes. At 8:00 this morning I was reminded. I made it my goal the other night to start conversations in the classroom while we all sat there pretending to be comfortable. So I started to talk to people. For some reason, I was ignored by the first 4 people. Then I got up and started talking to this kid with a "Lamb of God" shirt on. He was put off for some reason. I swear us metalheads need to losen up sometimes. So I tried talking to a few others. Finally I just decided to say to them all, "You guys all suck. Keep ignoring me. I'm trying to be friendly and kill the awkwardness but you guys suck ass so I'm done with you all." Then the professer came in. She asked how we were doing so I told her exactly how I was. I was pissed at how people can be so rude in a small setting such as a classroom when someone tries to talk to them. I think she hates me now.

Class number 2, I actually know a person in it. The teacher is crazy and its great. I have another with him this evening.

Class 3, finally the ice is broken. I find the room and notice that everyone is out in the hallway hanging out.....not talking. So I get set into a nice spot to relax and start talking to people. A few people replied, and then cut short. A first step was taken though. Then some girl started talking about that show "Simple life". Now I hate that show because it's pointless. There is no value to it aside from the 2 hot chicks that star in it. So that got me thinking about Lionel Richie. Then I started to sing "Easy like Sunday Morning". I make it to the 3rd line, and I made a new friend. Someone joined in and finished it out with me. It was hilarious. I'm glad that not everyone in my school is boring.

Then of course my head hurt when I had to buy $250 worth of books for 2 classes, that adds to the previous $250 spent on my other 3.

And now to make this an actual discussion and not a rant:

Do you guys/girls suffer from the same awkward silence before classes?

[HotWaterDeath]

I believe the situation(s) you have just discussed happen in most colleges (Well, every university I've attended anyway). People are just a bit a afraid to come out of their comfort zones and express anything unless they are "assured" of its "safety". While I am generally guilty of the above statement, I will at least carry a conversation with anybody that approaches me to with the intention of starting such interaction. I guess I could also state that I'm not the biggest fan of "people" in general, so I tend to leave them to their own device(s).

As for kids with Lamb of God shirts. Well I have yet to meet a decent one (I'm not saying that all kids that wear apparel from the aforementioned band are bad...just all of the ones that I have met). Of course I usually tell them to listen to some At The Gates or something, and they usually don't take to that.

[RicoRoyal]

Loved your story. I give you props for saying what you did in your first class. Wanna be friends? http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif Don't get me wrong though... I don't think I would have started singing around perfect strangers (as you did in class 3). I like to leave a lasting first impression that shows that I'm either 1. the quiet religious guy in the class who goes insane towards the end of the movie.. errr... class OR 2. the really social kid who actually wants to have a nice conversation in the class, but not at the expense of becoming an attention whore. You sir, pulled a scenerio 3 on your third class. Lasting impression: You are the insane guy who likes to sing for no reason http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif. Good stuff!

As to your topic question, I must say I'm all over the place. If I find so much as one person to talk to on the first day of class (or even better, if I find a close friend), you can bet i'll be talking to about half the class on a regular basis (on and off campus) by the end of the quarter. Point being, don't get me started if you ever plan on actually stopping me.

But, oh, what's this... if I can't find someone to talk to at all for the first 2 or 3 class meetings, I WILL NEVER TALK TO A DAMN ONE OF YOU FUCKERS EVER FOR THE REST OF THE QUARTER. That was the case this summer quarter in my Calculus class. I just got home from the final about 15 minutes ago, and I can safely say that I uttered 5 sentences during the whole quarter in that class (11 weeks). Two of those sentences where directed towards the professor (one was a question, the other was my permission to let her use my quiz as the answer guide). The other three sentences miraculously took place TODAY (the last fucking day), in reponse to 3 seperate math questions directed towards me 5 minutes before the final started, by some guy who sits in the corner (never so much as turned around to look what I was doing during the whole quarter). So yup... I'm all over the map in terms of talking to others.

[Outrider]

Heh... good ol' SUNY Albany. I'm at Binghamton myself, but I've got a friend in Albany.

Yeah, I've had that awkward silence before, but sometimes it goes away after a week or so of classes. Other times it doesn't... and that sucks.

[shifter]

most of my classes are still like that. though two of my classes ive only had once so far in the week and a half we have been back in class. though its kinda hard to talk in some of my classes cause all of my professors are on time, so it leaaves us with very little time time talk amoungst ourselves. but props to you for trying to enitiate some conversation in your classes, though i think most of your other class mates are just nervous or shy about meeting and being around new people. give it time and theyll always warm up and start to mingle except for that one quiet kid in every class.

[Nai_Calus]

I'm the scary anti-social guy who sits in the back lefthand corner of the classroom and alternately wears black, random travel t-shirts and blinding tie-dye. Today, for example, I'm wearing a black t-shirt I got at the gift store at the Smithsonian(Air and Space Museum, damn that place fucking rocked). It has a picture of Albert Einstein on it. The picture is made out of stars and galaxies and stuff, and it glows in the dark. >_>;

...People don't talk to me much. n.n

...Also doesn't help that down here nearly EVERYONE is a religious nut, and thus not someone who I will talk to, and they won't speak to me anyway. >_>;

[Solstis]

I'm the friendly looking person who doesn't talk much.

Either that, or I'm the angry little person that everyone thought was nice.

Depends.

[Madzozs]

See thats the thing. I'm normally the very quiet intellectual, yet unappproachable one(96% of my shirts are black as well, I just feel comfortable in dark colors). I have a permanent scowl on my pain as if I just receieved lashings or something. It's not that I'm never happy, it's just that I prefer to hide emotion to strangers. The problem is, a close friend of mine moved away recently, and I just got out of a messed up relationship so I am trying to meet people and be friendly at times. I think I may throw a curveball and be completely silent on wednesday. It depends on how the morning goes.

I have another class in 45 minutes so we'll see how that goes.

[Midnight]

well im not in college, but chances are when my parents force me to go, ill be that guy who never talks to anyone.

i dont like people offline. i have bad experiences with them everywhere i go. id just rather nobody get within 3 feet of me. yeah im pretty anti social and on the extreme side of introverted. i dont even wanna go...

[RicoRoyal]

On 2004-08-30 14:02, Madzozs wrote:
I think I may throw a curveball and be completely silent on wednesday.



You should really do that in your 3rd class (ya' know, for shits and giggles). Then on friday you can apologize to the person that actually sang along with you http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif. Do tell how it goes http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_yes.gif

[Sharkyland]

Ah, the joys of college. I made a few friends, though I wasn't much of a talker because I would seriously waste my time just by drawing.

[PJ]

On 2004-08-30 09:39, Madzozs wrote:
Do you guys/girls suffer from the same awkward silence before classes?


Before class? During class? It doesn't matter. My classmates jsut don't know WHEN TO SHUT UP! http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

...And that includes me >.>

[RicoRoyal]

On 2004-08-30 16:22, SUPAH_CHAO wrote:


On 2004-08-30 09:39, Madzozs wrote:
Do you guys/girls suffer from the same awkward silence before classes?


Before class? During class? It doesn't matter. My classmates jsut don't know WHEN TO SHUT UP! http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

...And that includes me >.>



Yeah, but you're that 10-year-old kid, aren't you? Elementary School ain't the same thing as College/University. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_evil.gif

http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif (all in good fun... youngin'... buahaha!)

[dude3282]

It depends on how comfortable I am with the class. I'm cool with the teacher and I like my classmates in my AP US History class, so I'm pretty talkative in there. Most of the other kids, it seems, are intimidated by me and one of the other guys in the class, because we know what we're talking about and they're all asleep. We like dropping $5000 words during discussions and confusing everyone except the teacher. Then there's my AP english class, where I'm surrounded by preppy ditzes who are just in there to raise their GPA because it's an AP course. I don't start small talk as much in there. When I do say something in class, like in the discussions that the teacher is always unsuccessfully trying to lead, I'm usually trying to provoke a response, and so I say some provocative things in there sometimes. And they still don't say anything. Oh, well.

[Aredhel]

Hmm, and I always thought the awkward silence before class was just because it's 8am and by all reports, my college piers tend to stay up all night imbibing firewater. I don't drink a drop of the shit, but I still have trouble waking up in the morning in the first place http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

Whatever - I'm not there to make friends... not like High School http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

[dude3282]

On 2004-08-30 17:23, Aredhel wrote:
Hmm, and I always thought the awkward silence before class was just because it's 8am and by all reports, my college piers tend to stay up all night imbibing firewater. I don't drink a drop of the shit, but I still have trouble waking up in the morning in the first place http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

Whatever - I'm not there to make friends... not like High School http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif


Hah! Won't be a problem for me, as I plan to attend the soberest school in the States. Maybe in the world, I'm not sure.

[Madzozs]

To Supah Chao, according to your info page. I am 6 years older than you. Unless you failed a lot, or are super smart, you are still in high school. you basically see those people everyday in a small atmosphere. There is like 20,000 people at my school.

I forgot who was talking about the firewater... SUNYAlbany is ranked #1 party school in the USA. Now since I don't like to drink with strangers, I don't really fit in there.

[Solstis]

On 2004-08-30 18:31, Madzozs wrote:
To Supah Chao, according to your info page. I am 6 years older than you. Unless you failed a lot, or are super smart, you are still in high school. you basically see those people everyday in a small atmosphere. There is like 20,000 people at my school.

I forgot who was talking about the firewater... SUNYAlbany is ranked #1 party school in the USA. Now since I don't like to drink with strangers, I don't really fit in there.


Try 40,000 for Gainesville.

Yes... there is much firewater running around here

[shifter]

On 2004-08-30 14:03, Midnight wrote:
well im not in college, but chances are when my parents force me to go, ill be that guy who never talks to anyone.

i dont like people offline. i have bad experiences with them everywhere i go. id just rather nobody get within 3 feet of me. yeah im pretty anti social and on the extreme side of introverted. i dont even wanna go...



well, i hate to tell other people what to do, but now a days you really should go to college just for the simple fact that there are so many more oppertunities that open up to you. dam i sound like a guidence counseler, but anyway, if you feel better off not going to college, dont, its your life and you gotta live the way you want. dam, this still sounds like something some guidence counceler would say.

[InfernoNR7]

I'm still in Highschool http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif yes, everyone talks, except for maybe myself. They all (well, almost all) try to either avoid me (I don't know what people think of me, besides that I'm quiet) or initiate IQ lowering convorsations about idiotic things........


Sounds like you had fun tho! http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime1.gif

[Outrider]

College... without alcohol?

It's so crazy it just might work!

Of course, you'd have to convince the thousands upon thousands of freshman who have yet to figure out there's more to life than booze. [/business I shouldn't bug everyone with rant]

EDIT: I, uh, err... I put "live" instead of "life." It's late, gimme a break.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Outrider on 2004-08-30 22:22 ]</font>

[Midnight]

On 2004-08-30 19:47, shifter wrote:


On 2004-08-30 14:03, Midnight wrote:
well im not in college, but chances are when my parents force me to go, ill be that guy who never talks to anyone.

i dont like people offline. i have bad experiences with them everywhere i go. id just rather nobody get within 3 feet of me. yeah im pretty anti social and on the extreme side of introverted. i dont even wanna go...



well, i hate to tell other people what to do, but now a days you really should go to college just for the simple fact that there are so many more oppertunities that open up to you. dam i sound like a guidence counseler, but anyway, if you feel better off not going to college, dont, its your life and you gotta live the way you want. dam, this still sounds like something some guidence counceler would say.




you have no clue how many people tell me what to do. its fine though. the only opprotinuty i even remotely want doesnt require college.

not to mention, i have a big hate for alcohol and drugs..no parties for me...


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Midnight on 2004-08-30 22:12 ]</font>

[dude3282]

On 2004-08-30 21:59, Outrider wrote:
College... without alcohol?

It's so crazy it just might work!

Of course, you'd have to convince the thousands upon thousands of freshman who have yet to figure out there's more to life than booze. [/business I shouldn't bug everyone with rant]


Wholeheartedly agree. The unfortunate mindset is that once you're legal, you ought to drink five times a much as you did in high school when it was "cool". And it leads to problems.

[Madzozs]

The best thing is 90% of the time, kids party hard until they turn 21. Then the novelty wears off because it is legal. My friends and I didn't start drinking until we turned 21. Since it was all within a few months of eachother, we celebrated with one big party.

[PrinceBrightstar]

Can't say I really suffer, since I bring my laptop with me to classes, I just watch a few quick vids while I"m waiting, or if there's a WiFI connection, kaching!

[Outrider]

On 2004-08-31 14:03, Madzozs wrote:
The best thing is 90% of the time, kids party hard until they turn 21. Then the novelty wears off because it is legal. My friends and I didn't start drinking until we turned 21. Since it was all within a few months of eachother, we celebrated with one big party.



No, it's quite true. All these dumb freshman get trashed every weekend, and then come their junior and senior year they don't care about getting trashed all the time anymore.

[Madzozs]

I had a class tonight that actually made me wish I were drinking during it. I came up with a great game. Whenever the professor digresses, I take a shot. I'd be drunk in about 5 minutes.