Gave my final exam of the year this afternoon. So once all this marking's done, I get to party, I get to kick back, I get to write my PhD thesis! Whooo!
Invigilating an exam is a odd mix of conflicting sensations: so, so boring; so, so entertaining. I mean, I understand that we're a voyeuristic society, one that enjoys watching what other people are doing, but there really is something indescribably amusing about watching people who have no idea that you can see them. I can only assume that this truth accounts more the staggering popularity of reality television.
Students writing exams (should) have too much on their minds to be self-conscience about the little things like etiquette. I watched one guy stick his finger in his ear, root around for a good 30 seconds, and then look intently at his finger! There's no way he thought people could see him; he was totally absorbed in his own world ... and his ear.
Both today and yesterday I watched the way people sit with great interest. As the time went by and the chairs became less comfortable, student would shift their bodies in an attempt to find a position that they could sit in. I tried to discern how sitting style relates to gender. Females are much more likely than males to pull one or both legs up on the seat of the chair. They are also more likely to twist their legs around their bodies. One of my students had one leg tucked underneath her and the other one crossed. She looked like a pretzel.
Guys tend to push their butts as far back as possible and then lean their torsos on the table. They are also more likely to try to "crack" things - fingers, legs, arms, necks. I can't tell if this is an honest attempt to ease stiffness, or just a noisy way to pass some time. Guys are also more likely (not far more likely, mind you) to scratch themselves in a way that can only be called “inappropriate”.
I also noticed that many people, both male and female, have no idea where their shirts end and where their pants begin. I saw a whole lot of underwear during this exam period. It's not like I was looking for it or anything, but once you notice something like that it's hard NOT to look. Eyes are just drawn there even when you don’t mean to look.
4 comments:
ugh. girls and their undies showing. if i were you, i definitely would have taken a baseball bat to anyone who's butt crack or thong was showing. just reef her head off. that's right - WHAM!!
I think if I was going to reef anyone in the head for exposing their butt crack, it would be a male. Butt crack = bad; butt crack + hair = even worse
A few weeks ago I walked into the bank and was faced with several inches of some guys crack.
The middle third. His shirt actually covered the top of it.
I looked staunchly away and laughed to myself until I left the building.
Butt crack used ot be the sole domain of men, but women have made great strides in crack-equality. And while I found the whole thing to be comical (and a little sad) there's nothing worse than true male plumber butt.
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