Ways to Annoy Other Students

Sophie: Please shut up when the lecturer is talking, you’re all basically adults and can’t stop your yapping? What gives you the impression that you are more important than the teaching staff?

Arlo: How the hell do I shut people up who just talk all throughout lectures? I mentioned it in the class online discussion but they just don’t shut up. I haven’t said anything directly to them because I find that way too confrontational. These guys be yapping the whole lecture and the teachers just say nothing >:(

Charlotte: Why does the lecturer not warn them then throw them out? It’s unfair that they are stopping others from hearing and learning. I remember even at school people were kicked out of class for yapping and that was school.

Jack: Would you argue with 60 individual students each week on that they have to leave, 60 potential complaints, in the three hours a week you have?

Zoe: I’m a lecturer, the amount of time it takes to get a student to leave basically ends the lecture for the day. The ones that are talking do not go quietly. I’m performance graded on the student reviews, and frankly, the noisy students leave all kinds of lies I can’t disprove.

— Students complaining about others talking in lectures

Leo: Why are the quiet study areas so noisy now? Some people are having sustained conversations, receiving and staying on phone calls, and just generally being disruptive?

Thomas: I asked a group of yappers to be quiet once. Just tell them to shut up!

Leo: It’s not just one or two groups, I can’t ask all of them to be quiet. I’ve got a lot to do and not enough time to deal with these yappers. One group leaves and a new group of yappers arrives!

Amelia: The study area is so noisy now. Like a group of kids having a party!

Aria: I’ve noticed the same thing! It’s very inconsiderate for those who want to use that space to study!

— Students complaining about noise in the study centre

Paige: Some lady brought her 5 year old kid and dog into the library on Level 5. She did not look like a lecturer or a PhD student, and her dog was barking at people around the library for like 10 minutes. I wanted to tell her to leave because her dog was disruptive, but I couldn’t find any rule on it online to make her take her dog outside. The dog is a dachshund and does not have any service dog identification. Some entitled people honestly.

James: She was on level 4 too, not too sure what she was wanting to do, but if it was studying I’d think it’d be pretty difficult with a primary aged kid and a dog that barked at everyone who walked past it.

Isaac: She probably claims it is an emotional support animal like those people that try to take their pet peacock, pig, duck, turkey, kangaroo, pony or whatever ridiculous animal onboard an aircraft. (I’m not making this up).

— Dogs on the loose in the library

Elijah: why WHY is there at least one person talking in the quiet spaces of the library. It says quiet for a reason, and when one person starts, they all start! Like STFU please, you did not need to come here to yap about your younger sister getting married before your cousin and why is someone on a whole facetime call?! They’re literally going on about they are failing an assessment! Well maybe it’s because you didn’t shut up in the library?! Do people not have library etiquette anymore? Will i ever be free from these idiots that don’t know how to keep their mouth closed?

Aria: To the person who ate a pie or some other kind of flaky pastry in the library: Seriously? How old are you? You didn’t even clean up your mess on the table or bothered picking up the bits of food on the floor. It’s common courtesy to clean up after yourself in public spaces.

Hudson: Bro I saw a couple hugging and kissing and it was soooo annoying! Like why do ppl feel a need to PDA in a freaking library?

Evelyn: I wish people would stop hogging study spots with their bags. I arrived at the library at about 12:30pm and left about 3pm, the whole time someone reserved a spot with their bag, but no one sat there. If you’re not gonna use the study spot why are you putting your bag there? Just ruins it for everyone else who’s trying to study somewhere. The library is almost always full. This is just so damn inconsiderate.

— More inconsiderate behaviour in the library

Madison: I sat down in the library two tables away from a group of CS majors. I had to move because the smell was so bad. CS majors you all stink!

Sophia: I’m a student at RMIT and the classrooms absolutely stink. Some students aren’t practicing basic hygiene. For the sake of everyone please shower and use deodorant.

Mason: I major in Computer Science and half my class has never heard of a shower.

Brooke: I was the only girl on a game programming course. It really stank. I was forced to put up signs in the lab pleading with people to shower.

James: I know it is summer and we’re all sweating, but please shower and wear deodorant. I’m in my final year of a Computer Science degree and the smell has been unbearable. My eyes are watering because the smell is so bad.

Cooper: Computer Science attracts a lot of computer nerds and these are your stereotypical introverts who don’t socialise and sometimes are so absorbed in the latest game that they forget to shower or brush their teeth.

Oscar: I’m absolutely at my wit’s end with my fellow Computer Science Students. Is it that hard to take a shower and do a load of laundry once in a while? Cuz you all stink.

— Students annoyed by bad personal hygiene

As you can see from this extensive sample of complaints on social media there are many ways to annoy other students. The complaints mentioned here represent some of the most common. Sometimes students just don’t care about other students, other times they aren’t aware that their behaviour is causing offense.

When students express a complaint on social media it is inevitable that other people will reply "Why don’t you just talk to them about their behaviour?". The problem with this is that inconsiderate students may ignore the request, or only change their behaviour temporarily. As one student reported when they complained to a group talking loudly, "They just laughed at me. Not going to lie I felt pretty beta at that moment". In addition, many students are introverted or even have social anxiety, meaning the stress of making the request could outweigh the annoyance caused.

Another problem is that sometimes that bad behaviour is so common that attempting to change it would mean spending all day complaining to various groups. It seems that university staff have also given up trying to police inconsiderate behaviour as it is just too much work. When it comes to issues like hygiene, that’s the sort of thing that is impossible to address directly with another student. For these reasons inconsiderate behaviour can often continue.

Tip	Bad or inconsiderate behaviour by students is extremely common and often disrupts others' attempts to learn. Try to be aware about how your behaviour is impacting other students.

Some of the most commonly complained about behaviours include:

Talking in silent study areas. This means making noise in parts of the library, in computer labs, or in study centres that have been designated for quiet study or work. If you are noisy in these areas, realise that you are probably annoying a lot of students even if they don’t complain directly. Universities often have areas set aside for group work, if you want to make noise, consider using one of those areas.
Talking in lectures. Students are paying a lot of money to attend university, some are genuinely interested in what the lecturer has to say. Nearly without exception in Australia and New Zealand, attendance is not taken in lectures. People that aren’t interested in listening shouldn’t attend. Spending a significant part of the lecture talking or even whispering is guaranteed to be annoying some of the students nearby. Nobody cares about a brief whispered remark, but the longer talking goes on, the more annoying it becomes.
Engaging in distracting activities in lectures. Some students engage in activities during lectures which can be distracting to other students, this might include humming, drumming of fingers, whistling, or tapping of feet. Even someone playing games on their laptop can be distracting.
Leaving a mess. Some students consume food and beverage in areas where it is prohibited. Even worse, they don’t clean up after themselves. Some groups even treat the library or lecture theatre like a cafe and set up a variety of dishes to consume. Another annoying behaviour is leaving a half full cup of coffee or tea somewhere precarious, which ends up spilt on someone else’s possessions. Try to be considerate of other students when it comes to consuming food and beverages and don’t leave a mess.
Dominating discussions. In some tutorials and workshops, there are people who think their life experience has insights that are so incredibly valuable that they need to dominate the discussion. While the person may indeed have something worthwhile to say, it may not be quite as valuable as they think. Exercise caution if you are repeatedly using up a disproportionate amount of classroom time.
Space hogging. Sometimes space on campus is in short supply, this can lead to students engaging in space hogging behaviour. For instance, they will attempt to reserve seats in the library or other areas by leaving their belongings unattended. This might be for an extended period, leaving other students frustrated. While it is normal for people to prioritise their own interests to a certain degree, try to have consideration for other students. Reserving space for hours and hours is just ridiculous, especially when there is no real intent to use that space.
Excessive noise in student accommodation. Another noise issue is making too much of a racket in student accommodation. Of course, complete silence isn’t expected, but some people make crazy amounts of noise disturbing other students that are trying to concentrate or catch up on sleep. Student accommodation is often cheaply constructed, meaning that noise travels easily along corridors and through walls.
Untidiness in student accommodation. Conflict in student accommodation can arise when some people don’t clean up after themselves leaving shared areas untidy or dirty.
Pets on campus. Nearly all university campuses have rules against pets on campus (properly certified service animals are allowed). Yet there are always people who think they can bring their dog to campus, or even smuggle a pet into the university halls of residence. Even lecturers will sometimes set a bad example by bringing their pet to work or even into a lecture.
Public displays of affection (PDA). Another commonly complained about issue is public displays of affection. Some students find it annoying when they are trying to study and a couple is busy canoodling in the library.
Bad personal hygiene. While it is an uncomfortable topic, some students complain about the poor hygiene of other students. Often certain groups of students such as those studying computer science, maths, or engineering are singled out as the worst offenders. Some have hypothesised that this is due to these groups being so absorbed by the demands of their degree that they don’t prioritise taking care of themselves. Whatever the reason, in cramped conditions at university, neglecting personal hygiene is a surefire way to annoy other students.
Attending university when sick. Despite lectures being recorded, some students insist on coming to university when sick. Given the crowded conditions, this means that viruses spread rapidly. Also, loud coughing and sniffing is distracting to other students. If you are sick, please stay home out of consideration for other students. Universities have established procedures if you are sick and unable to attend a scheduled lab, or other activity, for which attendance is recorded.
Slacking off in group projects. One of the most common complaints in group projects is when some members don’t do their fair share. This leaves other members to pick up the slack.

The most complained about behaviour by far would have to be making noise that disturbs other students. This could be in a lecture or an area designated for quiet study. Even in areas where talking is allowed, it is preferable to keep the volume down. When someone is trying to listen or study, noise can be very distracting. If you want to have a long conversation, try and do it in a location that is appropriate. Remember that people have different tolerances for noise. Something that one person might not care about could be extremely distracting to another.

Tip	Be very careful of how much noise you are making. Even if other students don’t complain directly, you are probably annoying some of them.