i Examined over communication

I decided to do my first iExamen on Thursday, September 29, and I was more surprised by the non-vocal communication that I noticed than the vocal communication. It was also very rainy so I wasn’t really able to see facial expressions of people walking but due to the rain, however, this did cause people to put their phones while they walked.

            Communication during class was average, with people raising their hands toward an authoritative figure before being called on for a prompted answer. I got to class 15 minutes early and noticed that people would sit with people who looked like them. Generally males and females separated, clothing brands seemed to be grouped and those who had previously shown their interest in the course discussion also sat together. Because it was an 8 am class, most students looked like they had just woken up except for the pair who are enrolled in the ROTC program. After class, I walked home and it began to rain heavily. I pulled my hood over my head, said a quick thank you to the student who buzzed me into my dorm, and headed upstairs. Later I attended my criminal law class where I noticed that the room was completely separated by gender. Our professor likes to call on people randomly, so no hands were raised and off the cuff answers were criticized. I walked with a friend on the way home and not to my surprise, she began ranting and venting about one thing or another. I nodded along and decided she didn’t really need to hear my opinion but rather just to talk about her issues. Times like these I choose not to speak because I feel as if my words are not necessary. I believe that the best format of communication for all generations is face to face however that is inconvenient so we have to settle for less effective methods.

            I do not consider myself to be overly attached to my devices, so taking an hour away wasn’t a big deal to me. I studied for a chemistry exam and studied in the library.  I continued my life as normal and received a good number of angry text messages about how I “really should be checking my phone more often because what I have to say is very important”. I’m not kidding when I tell you that the “very important” information was a link to a video of a hedgehog having its belly rubbed. Before and after this experiment, I concluded that the college generation feels a need to communicate and be in constant contact.