Assigned seats can potentially be detrimental to a student’s learning ability

Some students believe that seats should be assigned in class, and teachers aren’t always willing to let students sit wherever they want.  Many of them argue that assigning seats assists students in being more productive when doing work, and they won’t be as distracted as they would be if they were sitting with their best friends.  Additionally, assigned seating can create new friendships. 

“Assigned seats should be in class because although it may seem fun for people able to sit with their friends in class, it’s awkward for those who got unlucky and don’t have any friends in that specific class.  Also, sitting with people you are already familiar with makes you unable to make new friendships, so assigned seats would be the best option since students can become familiar with more of their peers,” said freshman Tina Katsigiorgis.

Students sitting with their friends in class can lead to exclusion among those who don’t have any close friends in that class.  No one wants to be the reason why one of their classmates hates that particular class because they don’t have anyone they’re friendly with to sit with.  Assigned seats, on the other hand, are changed every quarter, so a student who doesn’t have any friends in the class can always meet someone new every time the seating is changed and get to know them better.

Many students view assigned seats as another downside in class.  They want to be comfortable where they learn, sit with their friends, or sit where they can concentrate well in class.  Students who are more satisfied with their workspace tend to be more productive.

“I personally believe that seats should not be assigned in class because it allows for students to sit near classmates that they know they work well with.  Randomly assigned seating may cause some students to be uncomfortable around the people around them,” said sophomore Tai Abrams.

Productivity is key to getting an A+.  If you can freely choose where to sit, you can choose to sit where you can easily concentrate.  You can easily avoid the chatty kids, the loud kids, and the ones with whom you don’t get along.  Maybe it would be better for you to sit with a studious worker, so you can also focus.  By choosing the seat you think you will work best in, you can efficiently complete all your work and absorb as much information as possible.  

“I think students should be able to choose their seats because it makes school more enjoyable and less prison-like, but it comes with some disadvantages.  Some students might become a distraction to the class because of their seating arrangement.  In that case, the teacher can manually move students,” said freshman Theo Grigorenko.

Sitting next to your best buddy in class during a subject that you hate might make the class slightly more bearable.  If you’re doing group work, you can always pair up with that person first before they get stolen away by someone else.

“Honestly, I don’t think that seats should be assigned, because most of the time, seats are decided by alphabetical last name order, and as a person with the last name starting with a “Y,” I usually get kicked in the face with this system.  This system usually forces me into the back row where there is usually some 6-foot guy sitting in your view of the board,” said sophomore Ethan Yeung.

Those with last names that are at the end of the alphabet are occasionally stuck in the back of the class, which isn’t positive for their learning.  Sure, teachers let students who can’t see sit up front, but that doesn’t help when there are only five open seats in the front and twelve students who want to be in the first row.  Having non-assigned seats would give a chance to those who sit in the back and have their vision impaired by others.

Overall, seats should not be assigned in class.  Having assigned seats is pretty much a disadvantage to your learning.  Depending on the people you’re around and where you are, it can impact your learning.  Having loud people around you during class is pretty disruptive, and if you’re sitting near them because of alphabetical order, you can expect that you’ll be near them for the rest of the year.  Kids want school to be fun, and if school is fun, it could motivate them to try harder and do better.