HUMANS OF OAU: How Classroom Change Caused Confusion for Student

Oreoluwa Esther

On a recent morning, Gloria, a student in the Adult Education and Lifelong Learning department, encountered an unexpected challenge when she arrived for her class. As she recounted, "I went to the same office I had used last semester, but when I kept knocking on the door for about 15 minutes, a lady beside me started yelling at me, asking who I was looking for."

The lady, unaware of the classroom change, questioned Gloria's actions. "She said, 'Are you sure? Who are you looking for exactly?' I told her the professor's name, and she asked, 'Are you okay? Don't you know that's not his office? Why would you knock on another person's door without opening your mouth and asking questions?'"

Gloria explained that she was unsure of the change, as the office had been the professor's location the previous semester. "I told her, 'This is the man's office I knew of last semester. You don't expect me to just know that they have changed his office that semester. Where is his new office, ma?'"

After the lady directed Gloria to the professor's new office, the situation was resolved. However, Gloria reflected on the interaction, noting, "If you want to help somebody, help the person without yelling. Why yelling? That was my first class, how am I supposed to know that his office has been changed?"

While the incident caused initial confusion and frustration, Gloria acknowledged that all is good and that she would not forget the lady's face, as she does not plan to greet her in the future.