Classroom etiquette is a concept some people rarely adhere to.

Remember the days of yore when you were either picked on, picking on or seeing the picking? For most of us, it wasn’t too long ago that we experienced these frustrations, these annoyances that seemed, quite depressingly, like they would never end. Then came high school graduation and the inkling that, whatever separated you from the other kids, couldn’t possibly follow you into the real world, into college. But the maturity level one comes to expect from a college atmosphere doesn’t always suffice, and as college life progresses, it becomes blatantly obvious that the real world is nothing more than an extension of K-12. I say this because, frankly, I experienced this unpalatable nostalgia at MHCC only two days ago.

I’m probably not the only student at this illustrious college who’s attended classes dabbed or laden with a clique. It’s not always bad, but there’s one program here at MHCC that cultivates, in my humble opinion, cliques of the grimiest ilk. And while I’m disinclined to offer the name of the program, let’s just say that sometimes it’s hard for some of them to turn down the ego dial.

For students who’ve found themselves stuck in a classroom dominated by a coterie, don’t say anything. If they tout their ignorance in class, know they will be has-beens even before they graduate. Don’t try to retort if they mock or offend. Simply dismiss their idiocy from your mind and know that for some people it’s not easy being an adult.

If you find yourself boiling, angered at their constant and unending distracting, don’t try communicating with them. See, scientists have found that aggressive and domineering people have a higher flux of reptilian tendencies than humans who’ve properly evolved. So, it’s not their fault – they can’t control themselves, and most of them will be identifiable later in life when their primitive character depletes any chance of success. Though you may be smarter than said primeval persons, confronting cliques of this nature will usually result in unsophisticated taunts and torrents of uncouth beckons meant only to satisfy those ebullient tempers.

And to those burgeoning cronies who forget that some students may actually be taking a class because they feel an authentic desire to learn rather than detract, grow up.

This is college, and even though some of you – yes, you know who you are – are pushing 30, some of the budding winners sitting beside you don’t care if you think every nonsensical comedic whim that slops from any one of the innumerable vulgar and inept mouths is amusing. Remember, the art of comedy also involves knowing when and when not to crack a joke.

If all else fails, don’t forget that the college has a list of standards applicable to all students regarding conduct. If you feel you’re not getting the most from your education because of a clique, try talking to the instructor or file a complaint. You matter more than any one person’s ego.