Staff writer Christian Hargas reflects on students’ annoying habits
By: CHRISTIAN HARGAS
Staff Writer
There are many instances when a student is sitting in class, trying to concentrate on their work, but the person sitting near them is preventing them from doing that.
Whether it is constantly tapping a pencil, chewing gum with your mouth open, or talking during the lecture, these actions come off as being disrespectful.
I am not saying that I have never done any of these things, because that would not be true. I use to have a serious problem with constantly tapping my pencil on any open surface during my middle and high school years.
It got to a point where I was told by multiple students and teachers to stop or I would suffer consequences, but it was a habit that I could not break.
It was not until my junior year in high school when I was finally able to break the habit of rapid pencil tapping. At first, I never really understood why people had such a big problem with it.
After all, it was just a way for me to express myself. However, I now realize that tapping a pencil like that in a public forum, such as a classroom, tends to be disrespectful to everyone else.
It’s not just the annoying sound of a pencil constantly smacking the surface of a desk that aggravates people, it is the principle.
The principle being that no one wants to hear that because it is extremely disruptive to their concentration. I never understood it at first, but I understand it now. That is why I have stopped doing it.
Today, it bothers me when I am trying to concentrate in class and someone is doing the same thing near me.
It strikes an extra nerve with me, however, because I use to be one of those annoying pencil tappers myself.
I use to be the one who caused enormous amounts of aggravation in the people around me and now it has become a form of aggravation to me.
In a public forum, such as a classroom, it is important that we, as a society, should respect each other by not doing things such as tapping pencils during lectures.
It is also understandable that habits like that are not easy to break. I should know because I was one of those people who had trouble breaking mine. It’s difficult but it can be done.
Now, I understand just how difficult trying to stop a habit like this can be. I was one of those people who had trouble breaking my pencil tapping habit.
One of the things that I began to do was chew gum. Also, when the teacher was talking, I would put my pencil on the table and place my hands in my lap to prevent the need to tap.
It was hard at first, but it got easier as time went on. I was able to break my bad habit through hard work and dedication. If you have a bad habit(s), you can too.
