Alright, so you're sitting in lecture and actually trying to pay attention. About 10 minutes in, 2 friends behind you have a full on conversation about sports/guys/roommates and they're being generally disruptive.

I tend to steam silently but I'm tired of it. I need something to say that is polite but firm... so, what do you say?

I usually allow it for under a minute then turn around and ask them to either stop talking or ask them "whats the point of coming to lecture if your gonna talk". Usually this does the trick, if it doesn't or they give me some smart ass reply, I come back with "your paying $20/hr to be here.. why not learn something..think about it". This usually shuts people up.

I throw small rolled up paper and/or eraser shavings at them if they are in front of me.

I prefer to sit near the front where it tends to be quieter.

Havent had much of a problem with talking in my lectures, but when it does happen there is ussually some one who tells them, so I dont have to do a thing, lazyness ftw

Originally Posted by pavlov

I usually allow it for under a minute then turn around and ask them to either stop talking or ask them "whats the point of coming to lecture if your gonna talk". Usually this does the trick, if it doesn't or they give me some smart ass reply, I come back with "your paying $20/hr to be here.. why not learn something..think about it". This usually shuts people up.

Its actually a lot more than $20/hour. Its like $70 or something like that.

Just tell them to shut up or sit somewhere else without them.

What I want to say is vastly different from what I do...

I usually just make the universal female sound of disapproval (the click, lol) or shhhhhh or something...I'm a bit timid in person, really. But I sit near the front, so its usually not a big issue.

The guy beside me was being a total smart ass and really obnoxious today. He was bitching about how expensive the textbook is so instead of asking him to shut up I just decided I wouldn't offer him the little piece of information which would save him $100 on the textbook.

Tehe. That is was useless?

Lol i wish! no its that you can by a copy online for 40$ instead lol

I remember highschool where that was the best thing to do

You turn to them, look both of them in the eye and exclaim "You should probably get that checked out to have the oozing stop!"

In my intro social work class last year someone behind me was going on non stop, then I finally turned around and said "listen, I'm paying the prof to talk, not you" "well i'm paying her too!" "i don't care, you better shut up" and it seemed to do the trick.

Well I think I've got it narrowed down... mostly I just need to speak up when I cannot hear and it's gone on longer than just a minute or two.

A polite "shut the **** up" usually does the trick.