Rule 06. Always Sit at the Front of the Class

We’ve all heard the old adage that good students tend to sit closer to the front of the classroom. It can lead to better note taking and more active participation in discussions. Picking a seat near the front can be a sign to the instructor that a student is interested in doing well. And for Black students, all of that can certainly be true. But there can be another reason for them to always sit toward the front of class: to avoid accusations of cheating 1 . Because if you’re always in full view of the instructor, there’s a much lower chance of the instructor—or other students—thinking you’re attempting to cheat.