# Do you mind sitting by yourself in lectures?



## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

This really, really gets to me sometimes. Anyone else?


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## TrcyMcgrdy1 (Oct 21, 2011)

Yeah, the feeling of isolationa dn that nagging voice in ur head saying you are sitting alone cuz freak is pretty demeaning...I'd rather have a quiet, intelligent girl to my right and a nice, average looking guy to my left if I had a choice. Not the hottest chick on cmapus and star football player haha, then my anxiety would skyrocket. I just liekt o feel like normal people don't mind me and wills it next to me haha.


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## Donnie in the Dark (Mar 15, 2011)

Sometimes.
At the moment, I have 3 lectures a week. One I sit next to a foreign student that I get on with, he is a nice guy and I feel relaxed. One I had someone to sit next to last week, now they have a friend in the lecture so I will be sat on my own, and the other I am on my own.
it bothers me a little bit, but more of a problem is in seminars (tutorials). If I am not sat next to someone I know at least a little, I feel very awkward.


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## rsparkles (Oct 19, 2012)

No, this is something that doesn't bother me at all in lectures. In tutorials, yes! I just dread having to speak to the person next to me because I don't know them and everyone seems to know each other already.. Bah!


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## Yankees19 (Sep 29, 2012)

No I don`t mind at all sitting alone, unless I already have a buddy in the class. I basically go to class and then leave and do what I have to do.


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## Imbored21 (Jun 18, 2012)

I like sitting in the back next to all the other people that dgaf.


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## Diacetylmorphine (Mar 9, 2011)

I prefer sitting by myself, I'm there to concentrate on the lecture not gossip/play on facebook.


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## Rich19 (Aug 11, 2012)

If there is someone i know or someone i want to get to know (usually a hot girl) i'll sit by them but I don't mind sitting alone.


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## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

Sometimes I do now, when I take continuing education classes. But I went to a loner university for undergrad, and it never bothered me there.


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## deletedaccount12345 (Oct 18, 2012)

I always prefered to sit by myself in lectures. Go in, listen, get out. It always made me more uncomfortable when there were people next to me.


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## Brasilia (Aug 23, 2012)

I hate sitting by myself - I hope and pray before each lecture that someone sits next to me, I don't mind talking to them, like today I myself made the effort to move seats and sit next to someone on my row, I'm glad I did because now I know 1 more person


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## Jkate89 (Oct 17, 2012)

I actually prefer to sit alone, the school I attend is pretty big, not big to some other standards as I live on an island in Canada. Those thoughts to come to my head, but when I find myself really concentrated in whats happening in class, all that falls away. It was really bad my first 2 years, but now I realize having someone sit close to me just distracts me.


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## Lostsoulswander (Sep 27, 2012)

erikachristine said:


> I always prefered to sit by myself in lectures. Go in, listen, get out. It always made me more uncomfortable when there were people next to me.


Exactly


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## Avig7810 (Oct 20, 2012)

Yea, that's happened to me before. I find this to be really helpful and started making some friends or people to talk to in class: Look for someone who seems approachable and is sitting by themselves. Grab a seat next to them (ask if anyone is sitting here of course, and most likely, they say no) and immediately say hi and ask them about the previous nights homework assignments or question about notes/lecture material. Then introduce yourself by telling the person your name once you have some kind of conversation going. It's a start and also, more than likely, other people are having the same thoughts as you. Just remember, most people are not rude.


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## sansd (Mar 22, 2006)

No, not at all. I might have wondered in the past if people were avoiding me for some reason, but I wouldn't care now. I'm more comfortable without people right next to me. When I could see better, I'd sometimes deliberately sit in the back corner to be by myself (and have my back to a wall).


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## gorbulas (Feb 13, 2004)

in those big lecture halls, I just want the space to put my belongings and stretch out. i try to find a good seat though.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

I don't care. Most people are sitting by themselves too.


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## cafune (Jan 11, 2011)

erikachristine said:


> I always prefered to sit by myself in lectures. Go in, listen, get out. It always made me more uncomfortable when there were people next to me.


Yeah, this. I actually follow a "get in; get out" policy for a lot of the things I have to do that make me uncomfortable.

And I always end up sitting beside someone because there are tons of people in my classes. It's annoying because most of them don't keep their arms/legs/backpacks/whatever in their own space... I can't concentrate properly when I'm hyper-aware of someone's coat brushing against my arm. It drives me _crazy._ Sometimes, I'm not up to talking so it bugs me if they try to start a conversation as well.


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## Chieve (Oct 9, 2012)

not really


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## vanishingpt (Mar 9, 2012)

I'd prefer to sit with a friend but it's not so bad sitting alone in a lecture since the professor will be talking most of the time. It feels worse when the class requires discussion and such and I feel "safer" if I know someone else in the class.


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## little toaster (Jul 5, 2012)

i sit by myself and i don't mind. i do get annoyed when people start talking too much though.


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## alwaysmistaken (Aug 25, 2011)

I was lucky I went into my uni degree knowing people so I have always had friends from classes to sit with. But I have arrived to lecture early and sitting by myself waiting for friends to arrive sucked so if i had to sit by myself I probably wouldnt even go.


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## .95596 (Aug 24, 2012)

little toaster said:


> i sit by myself and i don't mind. i do get annoyed when people start talking too much though.


I agree, people tend to migrate to their selective cliques and the talking can become annoying, especially when one is trying to learn. That's why I sit at the front to avoid any cacophonous banter...it is a college classroom not the house of commons, my gosh.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

I always find it funny to take someone's usual spot. People really get disconcerted by it.


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## AussiePea (Mar 27, 2007)

My SA was at its worst during my Uni days so sitting on my lonesome was generally a positive thing for me, though luckily I did know a few people who I was comfortable around so I didn't have to go solo too often. That being said, as long as I was not the only loner in the lecture, it didn't really bother me.


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## queenbanana (Sep 5, 2012)

No, and if you don't care, nobody else does. I mean, if you look uncomfortable some people may notice and pity you(which I hate) but for the most part everyone keeps to themselves.


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## darkrider (Aug 13, 2012)

Some days it does, some days it doesn't.


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## Mani14 (Oct 23, 2012)

yeah, it bothers me. makes me feel like i'm not approachable :/


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## CalBear (Oct 24, 2012)

Sitting alone during lectures is normal; don't feel uncomfortable about it. Nobody in your class cares one way or another.


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## Nono441 (May 14, 2012)

I don't care. I sit by myself at the back of the room and eyeball hot chicks when not concentrating on the lecture content.


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## darkrider (Aug 13, 2012)

Nono441 said:


> I don't care. I sit by myself at the back of the room and eyeball hot chicks when not concentrating on the lecture content.


This.

Quite frankly the best thing about sitting in the back by yourself is that nobody can notice you eye molesting someone. The eye-molestee, however, more than notices it lol.


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## fishpie (Sep 28, 2012)

It depends on the class, I think. It doesn't bother me if the lecture hall is a big one and there are a lot of students. It does bother me if the class is small and my lonesome-ness is evident.


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## genes1s (Sep 23, 2012)

No, I love it. Most of my lectures are pure BS anyway, so i'd rather sit alone and not have to deal with anybody else's BS on top of that...


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## nathalex01 (Oct 29, 2012)

More often than not, I have no alternative, so I'm fairly used to it.

But I prefer to think that I'm in that lecture to learn and stay focused. Not chat to somebody about whatever party they went to last weekend.


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## Gorillaz (Jul 13, 2010)

Brasilia said:


> I hate sitting by myself - I hope and pray before each lecture that someone sits next to me, I don't mind talking to them, like today I myself made the effort to move seats and sit next to someone on my row, I'm glad I did because now I know 1 more person


nice job bro : )


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## polkaspot (Oct 30, 2012)

In undergrad I pretty much always sat alone and it didn't bother me. I preferred it. I'm in grad school now and the classrooms are small/full enough that you can't sit alone so I have to take whatever empty seat I can find. I usually try to come early enough that I can find a seat that isn't next to anyone and have those gradually fill in. Less stressful than being forced to sit next to someone that is already there!


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## mikeiscacc (Nov 18, 2013)

Doesn't matter.

Sitting next to people randomly and awkwardly - 




Just Go TV - new YouTube channel features awkward pranks and comedy


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## FunkyFedoras (Aug 30, 2013)

Not really. a lot of people do.


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## shortcake (Sep 2, 2012)

Nope, I prefer it. Easier to concentrate.


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## mcmuffinme (Mar 12, 2010)

I prefer to sit alone. I notice there are people who know each other from being in the same degree program, so I guess it is normal to make friends along the way, but I just don't want any part of it. It feels weird since I'm commuting to the school. I don't want to befriend people who maybe live hours away. Why put myself through the anxiety?

I've never looked at college as needing to be a social experience. I only go for the education and the degree. Why the hell do I need to talk to anyone unless I want to?


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

im comfortable if its not a large social setting but even being by myself is uncomfortable. I remember years back there was classes containing 600 students. It was really intimidating to see people so educationally inclined . :um


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## Claire Ames (Nov 22, 2013)

I feel like I'd rather sit by myself sometimes... but I find I never can because people would ask 'why do you want to sit by yourself?'
Anyone else find this?


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## glossy95 (Sep 27, 2012)

It's totally according to my mood. There's day I'd love to sit alone and if someone sit near me I'd get anxious.. But there's day when I want to talk a lot but nobody wanna talk to me.


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## Veritastar (Aug 16, 2011)

I'm a hardcore introvert so no.


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## Emstar1892 (Aug 12, 2013)

i find it excruciating!!! aahhh god it's so awkward!! and i sit down early in the hope that my row will fill up but i guess i repel people haha.


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## hmweasley (Sep 12, 2013)

I've never had a problem sitting by myself at all. I go to a college that has small class sizes, so typically I end up by someone anyway. There's not really enough seats available for anyone to sit entirely alone. I also typically become at least somewhat friendly with the people I'm sitting around by the end of the semester, so I can talk to them somewhat before and after class. In at least half of the classes though, everyone kind of sits alone on the first day and whatnot. I've never really felt I stood out by doing it.


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## Reckoner7 (Jan 29, 2007)

mcmuffinme said:


> I prefer to sit alone. I notice there are people who know each other from being in the same degree program, so I guess it is normal to make friends along the way, but I just don't want any part of it. It feels weird since I'm commuting to the school. I don't want to befriend people who maybe live hours away. Why put myself through the anxiety?
> 
> I've never looked at college as needing to be a social experience. I only go for the education and the degree. Why the hell do I need to talk to anyone unless I want to?


This was basically me years ago when I was at university. I had no desire to make friends at uni and sat by myself alot of the time. After lectures I go home or walk about town before I got the train back (I commuted also)

BUT I regretted doing this as on reflection it would have been nice to make some friends whilst there. Although they live hrs away like you said you could still hang out at uni when you there to make it a more enjoyable experience maybe. If you not that keen on making friends at uni then thats fine as there's nothng wrong with that either as you are there for a education primarily. But if you do then uni is a very good place to find friends.


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## mezzoforte (May 16, 2010)

Hadron said:


> I always try to sit alone. I HATE when people sit next to me, and i feel like murdering random people who sit next to me and attempt to converse.


Same. Well, I don't know about the murdering part. :b But it is a little annoying. And I hate feeling pressured to hold a conversation with someone. I'd prefer if they didn't talk to me at all.


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## coco crush (Nov 30, 2013)

erikachristine said:


> I always prefered to sit by myself in lectures. Go in, listen, get out. It always made me more uncomfortable when there were people next to me.


Pretty much this. The last couple of people who i ended up sitting beside just had nothing in common with, everyone once in a while there would be a huge silent and it would be so awkward.


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## Irvy (Nov 27, 2013)

i rather sit near friends


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## Ahzuran (Nov 11, 2013)

I really don't mind. I always tend to sit alone in 60 min lectures. When I go to class, I'm not there to socialize as much as actually learning and paying attention, so meeting people is not my top priority.

I do try to go out of my way every once in a while to talk to someone that looks interesting.


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## Dango (Feb 6, 2014)

BI've just been reading this topic as a newcomer and it's been so helpful!! For myself I guess I shouldn't make such a fuss about it when I'm sitting alone a lot this semester.

I find it extremely awkward in the first week because I feel it's really obvious who 'has friends' in class and who doesn't. But like some of you already said, you're there primarily for the education.


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## lindsayy (Feb 8, 2014)

Not in classes where everyone has friends because then I just feel severely left out


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## SadSelf (Jan 24, 2014)

Yes sometimes, 

I mind when i sit alone in bored lecture and sometime i feel interesting if subject is interesting


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## AceEmoKid (Apr 27, 2012)

In some ways yes; in others, no. 

Sitting alone helps me concentrate better. I'm sure I absorb material a thousand fold better than students who are sitting with others, exchanging glances or chatting quietly. It also depends on the seat location -- am I alone in the front middle row? Or somewhere near the exit, the back corner? If eyes, multiple pairs of them, have a vantage point on me, then my concentration will definitely plummet as anxiety takes over. But so long as no one could possibly see me, I'm fine. I'll be able to get comfortable, slouch down in my chair, scratch my chin when I need to, look at the teacher when he's lecturing without feeling like I'm intruding, so on. And with those worries out of the way, I'll be comfortable enough to take the best notes/soak in the most auditory information.

However, in certain classes and situations, it does get lonely and depressing. If I am sitting in the middle of class, and everyone is congregated in little groups except me, who has a perimeter of empty desks around me, I will feel poorly. And because I am so focused on the physical symptom of my un-popularity, I will not be able to concentrate on the material as well. 

In classes such as animation 120, which consists of little lectures but primarily free lab time to work on animation projects, sitting alone is especially painful: There are two main lab tables in the middle of the room, which all the students sit at except for me; I sit in one of the extra chairs on the side. It's a little embarrassing, especially when my professor has to squeeze past me to enter/exit the classroom, and suddenly it becomes apparent that I am an outcast, even in my major class. A lot of students talk to each other, joke, play games on their phones, and generally go crazy, except for me. I just sit there, looking back at them once in a while grinning. I look idiotic. I'm not part of their conversation, yet I feel entitled to laugh and smile at their exchanges. 

Quite a few times I was caught staring, and one of the girls would just give me this wide eyed look, as if she was confused why I was even listening to their private conversations. I can't help it though. Not only is the room small enough that I can't escape the conversations, but I long for entertainment during those otherwise dull hours drawing frame after frame.


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## Higgins (Apr 19, 2012)

I've found that I really don't care and prefer to sit either alone or near people who aren't friends because there's nothing more annoying than having people talk about bull**** during lecture while I'm trying to take notes. I worked really hard to get into this school, don't make my experience **** because you decided to take a class you apparently don't even like.


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## Blue Rose (Feb 5, 2014)

Well most of the time i don't care if i sit alone. I always at the same place, sometimes people join me, most of the time they don't. I only feel like a outcast when we have do group assignments, then it's pretty apparent how isolated i am. Any other day i just get focused on the lecture and take notes.


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## Rainbat (Jan 5, 2012)

I prefer it that way. I don't like to chit-chat during lectures.


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## Starless Sneetch (Apr 24, 2012)

I like not having to deal with other people; however, it never fails that I am the last person people choose to sit next to. I am not unfriendly. People would rather sit anywhere else but by me, apparently. I don't understand why. 

This used to really get me down, as I didn't understand their reasoning. I still don't understand it, but I don't really care anymore.


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## ineverwipe (Jun 16, 2013)

I prefer to be left alone so no it doesn't bother me at all. I go for the education, not the people anyways.


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## PandaBearx (May 26, 2013)

I like sitting by myself, but more towards people, like I don't really like being completely isolated. Though I don't mind it.


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