IM conversation mistaken for note-taking

Maria O’Connell, The Stool

3L Ray Aurelia became paranoid that he was missing something important as the student in front of him furiously clacked away at her keyboard during a recent tax law class.

“I was listening to the lecture and kind of soaking it in when I noticed that Charlotte was taking a lot of notes,” Aurelia told us. “So I thought I had better get on the ball or I would miss something important. After about five minutes she leaned over to get something out of her bag and I saw she was just IMing someone about how she hates her brother’s new girlfriend. I felt way better after I saw that.”

Studies show that between 30 and 45 percent of the typing during any one class period can be attributed to IM usage. That number spikes by as much as 50 points after someone does or says something stupid during the class itself.

“That’s good to know,” said 1L Matt Lewis. “I always feel guilty when I hear people typing and I’m not. Now I’ll just relax and continue enjoying my game of hearts.”