A lot rides on the first day of school. First impressions, meeting teachers, making new friends, determining your lunch group, but most importantly, choosing where to sit in your classes. Nothing is worse than having a seat you don’t want for the rest of the year (assigned seating excluded). That being said, I’ve put together a quick guide for choosing a good spot to sit on the first day. 

First of all you must know what kind of student you are. Are you shy? Outgoing? Sleepy? Social? Whatever it may be, one thing is for sure, get to class early! Make sure you know the schedule. Don’t show up right as the bell rings so you’re stuck with slim pickings. “I get there early so I have options. Never sit right in front but make sure you can see everything,” said Corinne Salter ‘21. Leaving the front row to the super engaged students who can’t see very far is a great start. 

For the more shy students, patience is key. “I’m not very social with new people so I’ll sit down somewhere empty and wait for the seats to fill in and get to know those people,” Chris Alvarez ‘23 said about his freshman classes this year. You have to remember that on the first day, everyone is in the same position as you. This makes it the best time to get to know who you’re sitting by. Questions like “do you know anything about this class?” or “what grade are you in?” are great ice breakers.

Lastly, if you’re looking to not get called on as frequently as other students or maybe catch up on some sleep, location is key. “Middle but all the way towards the wall. That’s how you don’t get called on,” is the wise advice from senior Keylon Hampton ‘20. There is no spot where you’re guaranteed to avoid getting called on, but some seats are hotter than others. However, don’t use seat location to completely avoid being called on or recognized by the teacher. Instead, make sure to keep those participation grades up and have a good school year!