The professor told several students today that I upset the grade average curve, which makes her less likely to award the class bonus points. My buddy turned to me and said he was glad he wasn't taking any more classes with me, because I did so well on the tests. I said I didn't blame him.
I treat studying and test-taking like a game. I like taking tests. I find it exciting. One student called me an overachiever. I want to score higher than anyone else. I look at it as evidence that I've still got "it," and will be able to handle whatever comes my way in the future. I feel more confident about the future, because I am doing so well. I thrive on the validation that I receive from others. To observe people nodding when I speak and to see admiration in other people's eyes is pleasant.
I was pleased by the way I handled the rude guy in class. After several students and I got together and told him the law of the land, he shut up during the lectures and let the professor speak. I thought he would carry resentment and bitterness, but I was mistaken. He too wants validation from others. He feels a constant need to talk and receive feedback from others. He talks incessantly only due to his craving for continual stimulation. Perhaps that is also the reason he is a chain smoker. He is friendly, though, and has learned to respect the boundaries of others as best he can.
My policy is to ignore him whenever possible, without ever seeming obviously rude. I respond to his questions in order to avoid any appearance of hostility, but my answers tend to be brief, without followup questions, and certainly without suggesting any new topics for discussion. In time, he gets distracted and begins rattling off to a less discreet student, and I am left in peace.
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