Club Obi Wan

What do you do when you're in class? I went to Catholic school all the way through high school and we were taught to always take our hats off inside of a building. Now that I'm in college I don't know where to put my hat during a class, I try not to place it on the desk because desks are dirty and I don't want to transfer germs onto my head...even though it may say sound crazy.

Okay...you're not going to transfer germs from your desk to your hat...that's just beyond crazy. Do you not touch anything when you sit at your desk? Do you sit perfectly straight while at class and not lean on your hands during a lecture? If I were a betting man, you touch your desk with your hands and then touch your face close to 10 times during the course of the lecture...that might transfer bacteria more than anything else. Besides, your sweatband doesn't touch the desk at all. Just stick your hat on the desk or seat next to you, upside down, and you shouldn't have to worry about it.

I just graduated but in college I always wore hats in class
not fedoras though

I just wear it. That way I don't have to put my hand up when they call roll.

Just leave it on if the college doesn't provide a place to put it. That'd be my solution. I teach college- it is normally pretty laid back in terms of dress. Seriously, given some of the things I've seen students wear (including nothing) to class your hat might draw attention once or twice. I imagine some places may be more or less formal than others but generally unless you are 6'7" and sit in the mid-front row no one's going to mind. As far as germs - the advice about the sweatband is correct. Besides, you should be placing the hat crown down (brim up) which places the sweatband off the surfaces. If there is any problem, get a cheaper hat to wear to class and save the best for everywhere else. As a professor, I am always happy a student is predictable and a has something I can use to help remember who they are so I doubt many profs are going to mind. Oh. . . It might get more attention for you (good/bad, who knows) if you major in you know what!

I take my hat off in class, because I was brought up with the "hats indoors are just wrong" philosophy. I wear it in the halls, but it comes off when I step through the classroom door. In classes that are packed full of people I just don't wear it because there isn't enough room to put it anywhere, but most classes aren't that full.

And on a side note, I'm a film major, but I took an archeology class, and let me tel you, the reaction of the archeology majors was far better than that of the film majors.

i put my hat on its crown in the corner of my desk, simple as that! it proved to be a nifty place to keep any papers id need for class at the ready. the only trouble ive ever encountered is my history teacher who keeps on saying its bad luck to keep a hat on your desk, but i dont believe in that superstitious hocus pocus

Wait 'til you see your final grade in history!

swansong wrote:the only trouble ive ever encountered is my history teacher who keeps on saying its bad luck to keep a hat on your desk, but i dont believe in that superstitious hocus pocus

Huh? Would you ask them for a source on that one?! I have heard the old, "Bad luck follows if you put your hat on the bed.", line. (BTW- yes it does. Someone sits on your hat!).

I think the idea of it must come off in a classroom is interesting- it is specifically considered a public place and that was the rule I was taught (military seems to have a stricter rule). Interestingly, in a private school, often all buildings are considered private places so you'd have to remove it at the front door. I think you'll just have to keep using your good judgment and be sensitive to others.

I find classroom etiquette is a function of rules and what the crowd does. If there's a rule against wearing a hat, off it comes. If there's a rule about where to put you hat, you put it there.
In the absence of rules, pay attention to what the five gajillion ballcap wearers are doing. I bet those caps usually stay on!
Now, if you WANT to take it off... When I was in college, the desk were barely big enough for my notebook. I carried a backpack or briefcase style bag. If the seat next to me wasn't available to hold my bag and hat, I took what I need for class out of the bag, placed it on the floor flat (under my seat if possible), and rested my hat on the bag. Never had a single problem.

mtechthang wrote:

swansong wrote:the only trouble ive ever encountered is my history teacher who keeps on saying its bad luck to keep a hat on your desk, but i dont believe in that superstitious hocus pocus

Huh? Would you ask them for a source on that one?! I have heard the old, "Bad luck follows if you put your hat on the bed.", line. (BTW- yes it does. Someone sits on your hat!).

he said his mother said it all the time <shrug>

and ha ha ha

I don't care if the ballcap wearers don't take their hats off, it's impolite, especially with a hat with such a tall crown.

Risu wrote:I don't care if the ballcap wearers don't take their hats off, it's impolite, especially with a hat with such a tall crown.

Agreed. If we're to bring back wearing nice hats (which used to be part of a dress code), then shouldn't we bring back proper hat etiquette as well? Our standards as a society have degraded so much that far too many people dress like @#$%. I know that at my college (grad school), they all dress like they just came from the gym. They think I'm weird because I dress nice, but who cares! In my mind, it's THEM who dress weird.

So, take your hat off in the entryway of the school, then hang it up. If you can't hang it up, stick it on top of your book bag like I do mine.

I don't bring it to class, too much of a hassle finding somewhere safe and nice to put it. It's also annoying to wear it in class for people behind you. So I'm left with little options.

Sitting Rabbit wrote:I know that at my college (grad school), they all dress like they just came from the gym. They think I'm weird because I dress nice, but who cares! In my mind, it's THEM who dress weird.

That reminds me of a joke I once heard... I'll pull a Chewie Louie here:

As an older man was driving down the freeway, his car phone rang.

Answering, he heard his wife's voice urgently warning him, "Herman, I just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on route 290. Please be careful!"

"####," said Herman, "It's not just one car. They're all going the wrong way!!!"

Castor Dioscuri wrote:

Sitting Rabbit wrote:I know that at my college (grad school), they all dress like they just came from the gym. They think I'm weird because I dress nice, but who cares! In my mind, it's THEM who dress weird.

That reminds me of a joke I once heard... I'll pull a Chewie Louie here:

As an older man was driving down the freeway, his car phone rang.

Answering, he heard his wife's voice urgently warning him, "Herman, I just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on route 290. Please be careful!"

"####," said Herman, "It's not just one car. They're all going the wrong way!!!"

Yup, like sheep off the edge of a cliff!

I usually just put it on top of my coat on an empty desk...i wish there were hat racks in classrooms.

Indycrazy5187 wrote:I usually just put it on top of my coat on an empty desk...i wish there were hat racks in classrooms.

There used to be, before the ignorant generations started disrespecting the schools and started keeping their hats on. I for one, will respect them (no matter how much I may hate school ).

Sitting Rabbit wrote:

Indycrazy5187 wrote:I usually just put it on top of my coat on an empty desk...i wish there were hat racks in classrooms.

There used to be, before the ignorant generations started disrespecting the schools and started keeping their hats on. I for one, will respect them (no matter how much I may hate school ).

In this day and age, if there were hat racks in schools, I have a feeling that some hats would be stolen.

ichnob wrote:

Sitting Rabbit wrote:

Indycrazy5187 wrote:I usually just put it on top of my coat on an empty desk...i wish there were hat racks in classrooms.

There used to be, before the ignorant generations started disrespecting the schools and started keeping their hats on. I for one, will respect them (no matter how much I may hate school ).

In this day and age, if there were hat racks in schools, I have a feeling that some hats would be stolen.

You're probably right