Me: “Can I help you?”

Student: “I can’t find my professor’s office.”

Me: “Do you have an office number?”

Student: “Yeah. It’s 412.”

Me: “Well, that’s just down the hallway.”

Student: “I tried. That’s not his office.”

Me: “Is he a political science professor or a modern languages professor?

Student: “Neither. Geology.”

Me: “Are you sure he’s in this building?”

Student: “No.”

Me: “What building is he in?”

Student: “I don’t know.”

Me: “There are lots of buildings on campus.”

Student: “I know.”

Me: “What made you think it was this one?”

Student: “I don’t know…”

(I work in the testing center for a community college. We administer placement exams and make-up exams, among other things. This particular student is taking his placement exam.)

Me: “Okay, sir, I have you set up on that computer over there.” *points to computer* “Just finish filling in your personal information and the test will begin.”

Student: “Okay, thanks.”

(About forty-five minutes go by as the student goes through the exam. I then see him raise his hand, so I stand up and walk over to his computer.)

Me: “Is there something wrong?”

Student: “Yeah, it’s telling me that I’m about to start the arithmetic test.”

Me: “Yes, that is part of the placement exam.”

Student: “But I’m supposed to be taking a math test, not an arithmetic test!”

(I hand out a vocabulary list to a class of eight-nine-year-olds.)

Me: “Does anyone know any of the words?”

Student: “I know what twilight means!”

Me: “Go on, tell us what you think it means.”

Student: “Actually, I’m not completely sure, but it’s got something to do with vampires…”

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(Several other high school students and I are on lunch break at a Model UN simulation. I am part of the Nigeria delegation. We are all about fifteen years old.)

Woman: “So, are you a visiting diplomat from Nigeria?”

Me: “No, there’s a Model UN for high school students here today. I’m not really a diplomat.”

Woman: “Oh, cool. So you’re like some foreign student who gets sent here to do some simulation?”

Me: “No, I go to [local high school]. I’m not actually Nigerian.”

(Note that I am white and do not in any way remotely resemble someone one would expect to be from Nigeria.)

Woman: “Isn’t it a felony to impersonate an ambassador?”

Me: “No, it’s a model UN meeting. I’m not impersonating anybody. My tag clearly says ‘Model United Nations.'”

Woman: “Well, I’m reporting you to campus security!”

(She goes over to the campus security booth nearby and says something to the guard. The guard responds and she angrily walks away. As soon as she is gone, he bursts out laughing).

(I send homework home with my students every week. Sometimes it’s pretty obvious that their parents “help” them by doing it for them.)

Student: “My mom doesn’t know how to do this.”

Me: “No, but you do.”

Student: “Oh.” *turns and walks away*

(The next day, his work was completed.)