Entry 3: Nonverbal cues I've seen

 

Enter a lecture hall or a classroom, the usual scene of groups huddling together, some alone, in the different areas of the room is the first to be seen. Once the lesson starts, the mind starts to pick up on little actions around you. People can be twirling their pens, crossing their legs, playing with their hair, glancing at their watches and so on.

People themselves may not notice since such actions can be done unconsciously, being used to calm themselves down. These are some common examples of what we can notice students doing. Twirling of pens and physical actions , are called adapters, a form of Kinesics (study of body movement). Glancing at the watches or looking around are of Oculesics (study of nonverbal cues associated with eyes). There are other types of nonverbal cues as well, be it for a speech or normal conversation between people, but let's stick to the nonverbal cues of students.

Since the exam weeks are approaching, be it for mid-terms, final year projects or even a whole pile of quizzes the next day, do nonverbal cues have a certain pattern or group?

First off, there is what we may call the well-prepared ones. These may be the people you usually see working on their work, revising everyday. Nonverbal cues on the start of the exams may be that they are just as usual. Walking calmly, going straight to the classrooms (for some), and who knows, they may be the ones that are comforting those who are panicking. From these, one can infer that they revise work regularly so as not to have any troubles with their studies.

The second group may be those who make preparations just for the exams. The nonverbal cues should be noticeable (though they may be exaggerated). Dark 'panda eyes', shorter temper fuse, heavier bag than usual for the notes and textbooks. If one visits the library during such times, one may see a fully packed study room even. During these times, it can be seen that they are set on concentrating on preparations. It may be a good idea to keep any invitation for fun and games at bay for the time being.

From all the studying, either one keeps up with the hectic schedules, or they may end up leaving it to fate. This is hard to know until the time for the exams. And to tell the truth, I have not seen any cues for such, unless cartoons count. All I can say to students having exams is: Good Luck!

These are the nonverbal cues I usually see, and there is the possibility that I misinterpret them as well. But, that is what makes people-watching fun. You get to imagine what all those nonverbal cues mean. Maybe when you have the time, try paying attention to your surroundings, who knows what interesting nonverbal cues you can notice.