“I think that the students who focus on school and put a lot of effort into classes gravitate towards the front because they know that’s where they do better,” Anna Lim (’28) said.
Sitting in the front of the classroom gives students more opportunities to connect with their teachers and helps them stay better engaged in class. These benefits can boost students’ grades and create a more enjoyable classroom experience, yet students often shy away from this area of the classroom. For many, it is because they would prefer to sit somewhere where they can go off-task and talk to their friends, which is fun at first, but in the end, lowers their chance of doing well in the class.
The short distance from the front seats to the teacher offers a closer student-teacher connection. Although it can be intimidating at first, sitting close to the teacher makes it easier for students to ask questions and interact with the teacher. This builds a solid relationship over time. A study by the American Psychological Association found that a good student-teacher relationship contributed to better social skills and improved academic performance for students.
“Generally, when I sit in the back or not near a teacher, I end up thinking that I would be doing better closer to the teacher’s desk,” Nina Yuska (’27) said.
Oftentimes, groups of friends pick areas where they can all sit near each other but not disrupt the lesson when they talk. This is typically near the back of the classroom. Although it is helpful to sit next to a friend to ask questions to and talk with during down time, sitting in the back can cause friends to get distracted and not pay attention to the lesson.
Due to the greater distance between the back seats and the teacher, it is easier for students to get distracted from the lesson. Some students take control of their time by catching up on work or studying for a test in another class, but others decide to play games or watch movies. While the latter is less constructive, both activities distract students from learning in class, which can cause them to fall behind.
“The kids in the back tend to get away with more…they eat; they go on their phones; they talk; they don’t pay attention,” Joshua Nguyen (’28) said.
According to a study from the National Library of Medicine, student placement in a class can have a direct correlation with grades. In the study, students were randomly assigned seats at the beginning of a physics course. The study found that the students sitting in the front had grades in the top 20%, while students sitting in the back were in the bottom 10%.
Another downside to sitting in the back of the classroom is it can be difficult to make out letters or pictures on the board, impeding learning. Students who sit in the back also run the risk of sitting next to a tall person, who blocks out the board entirely. If you decide to sit in the first row, you won’t have to worry about any of these issues, and some students agree that they would benefit from sitting in the front.
“I definitely could [do better at the front] because I don’t have great vision, and when you are near the front, the teacher’s attention is on you, so you feel like you have to pay attention, and you are more likely to ask questions and participate,” Anna Lim (’28) said.
Ultimately, the front of the classroom holds numerous benefits that students often overlook, so next time you are given a choice in seating, try out the front.
