Five Embarassing Moments College Students Have in Class

Alyssa Raiola is a sophomore the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and the Campus Rep for CampusRiot.

Let’s face it, life is awkward. As college students, it seems like our life is a continuous series of these awkward moments. Whether it’s seeing our hookup from last Friday night on campus or sending the wrong email to a professor, college is full of these painful (yet hilarious) scenarios. One of the worst places for these moments to happen is in class. Embarrassing yourself in class means potentially embarrassing yourself in front of friends, strangers, and professors…YIKES.

As painful as they moments are, they happen to everyone, and they make for some pretty hilarious stories. Make yourself feel better about your embarrassing moments (or reminisce on your own) by checking out these classic five embarrassing moments college students have in class:

1. Accidental Dance Party

: Too bad we can’t break out in RANDOM DANCING during class like iCarly.

That moment when we open our computer and the music we were listening to earlier is blaring full volume…oops. Of course, it always seems to be the most embarrassing song. Or, even worse, when you are goofing off in class and forget to hit the mute button on that funny video you’re trying to watch. Luckily, this usually makes everyone in the class laugh, but if you have a strict professor, this could be bad news. Here’s to hoping everyone will just start dancing though…

2. Caught in the Act


Who, me?

When a professor calls a student out for doing something inappropriate in class, everyone cringes. Maybe you were texting, talking to a friend, or dozing off. Whatever the case, this is one of the moments that is awkward for everyone in the room. Try to be a little stealthier in your slacking off next time.

3. Class of Shame


All aboard the struggle bus.

Remember when we were good little students and went to bed at a reasonable time on school nights? Yeah, not so much. If you’ve come to class after a rough night off, you run a higher risk of embarrassment. We’ve all spotted that student with the unfortunate hickey, the stench of alcohol, or the general appearance of death. Do us all a favor and at least shower. Get some coffee and advil before making the trek to class. This is a college right of passage.

4. Butterfingers


Jess, you know my life.

As a huge klutz, myself, I am very familiar with this embarrassing moment. Dropping a water bottle that rolls across the whole room, tripping as you walk in late, or spilling your coffee can all seem pretty mortifying at the moment. But, remember, these are things that happen to everyone. They seem like a much bigger than they actually are, I promise.