Putting It to the Blog World

So, it's more than half way through the semester, right? And everything is getting established. By this time next week I'll have more than half of the chemistry and microbiology tests over and done with.

Earlier this week, Partner and I ran into a girl from our Chemistry class. She hadn't been there in a few weeks, and she proceeded to recount her sob story to us: car accident, she was sick, she lost her job. Suddenly I felt like I was teaching again hearing excuses galore. Oh well, we said, do you want to copy our notes? Oh yes, she gushed. I do. We can stay after class and I'll copy them then. This was Monday, and the last thing I wanted to do was sit at school for an hour after class was over while this girl copied my notes. Monday is a long day. So we copied my notes for her at the library before class. I went through them all and made sure they were legible where the copier couldn't pick up pencil marks. I stapled them quite nicely and waited for her to come to class. She came, but was late. Late late. That's pretty usual for her.

Wednesday we came into class, and she was there. On time. Sitting right where Partner sits. Displacing us from our front and center seats. I was pretty pissed off. Are we not in the seats that are ours now? Haven't we been in class for nigh near nine weeks and have we not established that is where we sit?

Let me explain: On our first day of lab, Partner and I were running late. Thus, the lab bench we ended up sitting at is in the back of the room, under a fan that runs continuously, making it very hard to hear. I hate where we sit in lab. When we came the next week, we were good and early and could have moved to a new lab bench quite easily, yet I didn't think this was right. We got where we got, and we'd have to deal with it. Now, it was still early enough in the semester, I don't think displacing someone at that point would have been too rude, but still, I feel bound by a certain seating ethics.

Thus, if I wouldn't do it to someone else, it really peeves me that someone would do it to me. I guess this is the whole part and parcel of manners really-- Or it's my true Libra nature coming out and rearing the ugly side of its head. I know this is childish and peevish of me, but still...

When I was teaching, I'd watch my students jockey for seats during the first week of class. After that, everyone pretty much seemed established and there hardly ever anyone who would rock the boat by moving.

I have my seat I like to sit in lecture. It is in the front row. In the center. I can see everything going on. The front of this class is pretty established. We're all geeks that are there for every class. We all ask frequent questions. And we're all probably pretty freaked out by Chemistry too. Having some stability, even if it's the same seat every Monday and Wednesday night helps keep my Chemistry fears to a minimum.

So when we were talking about it, Partner and I both decided we should put the question to the blog world: Was stealing Partner's seat half way through the term and displacing us rude or no? Or am I really a total type A for Anal person and need to loosen the hell up?