AIBU - or is my fellow student? What is 'normal' behaviour on an MA course?

[nonnomnom]

I've nearly finished a taught MA at a British university. There are many students from around the world and generally it tends to be the British students (including me) who put their hands up and volunteer answers to the course tutors during our weekly taught sessions (about 25-40 people in a room).

I'd assumed those who didn't contribute did so partly because of lack of confidence at speaking in a foreign language or in some cases I know (because they've admitted it!) that some Far Eastern students believe that student interaction is a bit pointless and they just want the teachers to tell them the 'right' answers.

But I was really shocked when I inadvertently stumbled across a bitching session by a couple of students on the course about those who participate actively in the course. I'd assumed that all native speakers would view interaction as positive and indeed, what we were there for! But here this was an American and Brit, really laying into those who put their hand up too much, saying that others want to speak too but think more slowly so they (the quick ones) should wait and give them a chance to speak. She was really vehement and I was a bit horrified to think that fellow students were thinking I was really rude because I hadn't 'waited' for them (obviously I had no way of knowing if they had great ideas brewing, were just shy, hadn't done the reading etc).

So what is normal/expected on an MA course? Were I and my 'chatty' fellow students being unspeakably insensitive and spotlight-hogging? Or was I being reasonable, and actually, active interaction and participation is what MA tutors wish to see and students ought to expect to do?

Advice please - bit late for me as I've nearly finished my course now and have been blithely chatty to date. But hoping all my fellow students haven't hated me as a result...

Merely Earth? Pah.

In fairness, OP is the most experienced at showing herself up both in lectures and online.

This thread is surreal. I don't ever remember previously seeing a poster simultaneously go to some trouble to avoid identifying themselves AND boast that they have gone to some trouble to identify another poster. Personally, I feel I no longer need worry about whether I am an annoying MA student, as I do indeed understand classroom dynamics as explained above. So that's nice.

Im on a masters course. I dont give a flying crap about anyone else. Ive paid £9000 and im going to get my moneys worth out of the experience. Im looking to get as much out of my degree as possible.

If anyone teaches adult groups and has never seen the Kristen Wiig character Penelope, then... please enjoy.

asilver

Me neither. Things is, the op either fundamentally represented her situation at the beginning of the thread, or was lying later on when she claimed to be vastly more experienced than experienced and properly qualified academics at delivering university-led seminars. Like most people on this thread, I have an idea where the truth lies.

In my field I can't imagine a situation which the op describes. Whereby someone who has not completed an MA is allowed to teach on one on a regular basis? PhD students and postdocs are scrabbling for first year undergraduate teaching.

When combined with her quite frankly unhinged attempts at cyberstalking

God, OP, the second hand embarrassment over your posts here is pretty intense. You really, really have not portrayed yourself in a positive light.

And if Jeanne is an academic, however early in her career she may be she presumably has a PhD under her belt. You're... doing a Masters. Self-funded, at that. How in the world can you argue greater credentials? Because you've done some professional-capacity training? It's not a comparable.

And that was a rhetorical question! Just for the avoidance of doubt.

LOL at the OP telling Jeanne she should get a job at a better university. Presumably when you cyberstalked googled her you realised how preposterous that was. Car crash of a thread.

Im on a masters course. I dont give a flying crap about anyone else. Ive paid £9000 and im going to get my moneys worth out of the experience. Im looking to get as much out of my degree as possible.

This seems like a short-range plan, given that building a professional network and working with others in the same field is generally an important part of any postgrad course's value. This may involve you at least pretending to give a flying crap about other students.

Anyhow, I'm off my world cruise. I've paid £9000 and I'm going to get my money's worth. Unless explicitly requested not to, I will jostle and shove at the all-you-can-eat buffet, and fill my handbag with shrimp, and click my fingers at the bar-staff, and sing over the entertainment, and help the captain steer the ship, and drink your milkshake. I don't give a flying crap about other people. Let them elbow me aside, if they're so committed to their own investment. That's just life.

My employer is paying for my MSc, does that mean I can consider the other students as well as myself?

I agree with lady. Your MA cohort will have your back later on (so will fellow PhDs). You need them.

And thanks for the endorsement multi.

Oh lady to be a fellow passenger on your cruise!

Well Jeanne apparently we haven't won the internet

But we'll always have Paris. Or something like that.

And at my university (admittedly, it's not as good as Jeanne's so I'm probably really lacking in experience) we don't permit even PhD students to teach anything higher than a second year undergraduate course.

I'm just going to leave this here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative_principle