Talk about the roommate from HELL…good luck, Blair!

Yes, I have a test tomorrow, but nothing like the here and now that is oh-so-conducive for the all-time favourite pasttime of all college students — procrastination! And no better way to waste precious time than to ogle at our precious babies Blair, Georgina, Vanessa and Dan tackle the halls of NYU.

Last season’s Gossip Girl was filled with intoxicated days and nights of debauchery, deceit and defiance. If you are an ardent fan of GG like me, you would have spent a night or two out partying and wishing you had the beautiful life of Serena, drowning your sorrows (of having to finish yet another term paper by the following week) in daiquiris and crystal flutes of cabernet sauvignon. Blair was all claws out, showing us every cruel trick in her book and driving everyone insane being the control freak that she was, correction, she still is.

This season, it seems like cupids descended onto New York City with the chilly winds of mid-fall as everyone started locking lips with their latest love interests, and you thought hey, isn’t that great that everyone’s happy in love? Except it’s not. (Especially the part where Georgina and Dan xxx-ed, ugh, right? And I don’t like that girl with Nate, who’s with me?)

Gossip Girl may be full of hot people, hot (fake) gossip and hot air, but there are times when they actually get a few things right…about college! I really love the parts when Serena and Rufus could sit down and have a good chat – teaches young people to have a decent heart-to-heart conversation with their parents, no? – and when Serena and Blair do the whole “best friends forever” hug — I really enjoy watching the two of them together.

Hopefully Serena will straighten her thoughts out this season, maybe she won’t. (I can see she’s doing the whole Marissa Cooper thing.) But what’s with the good-boy transformation of Chuck Bass anyway? Chuck Bass doesn’t DO good boys. And I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling creeped out by first Georgina Sparks, and now Olivia Burke? Whatever it is, Gossip Girl is keeping me happy when I can live my ideal college life vicariously looking at all the pretty clothes and cool parties…until my next procrastination break, fellow gossip girls.

Picture from http://www.gossipgirlinsider.com

Anyone who has been squeezed, ploughed and rolled through the long, winding and often endless labyrinth of a university’s bureaucratic style of administration will know you will come out victorious with what you want (and maybe a little more) if you are a marathon runner in terms of challenging the system (aka loads of patience), and the skills to churn out emails that ooze saccharine sweetness from the boring-as-blah two-dimensional interface of the computer monitor.

Study abroad has been fun. Yes. Stop asking. (If you are so curious, please go and experience it for yourself…opportunities are aplenty.) What people don’t know and don’t want to focus on is the fact that there is much administrative work to be done, be it badgering the staff at the Study Abroad/Student Relations what-have-you Office to allow you to get credits for the classes you took overseas, or implore them to discount (hopefully) from having to include classes that you have to transfer your grades over (oh, heaven forbid — all those late-night parties have definitely taken a toll on your Study Abroad classes’ grades *collective nods* You’d just have to put in some summer school later.)

The post Study Abroad is not fun. If you’re lucky, your office back home is willing to overlook some aspects possibly irrelevant to your academic career and just award you the credits. After all, with so many exchange students coming home every year, it can get annoying to review every case in fine detail and cross-referencing with the partner university.

If you’re smart/lazy, you’d have taken classes that are “safe”, that is, easily transferrable with no room for argument. They are, of course, unlike classes that may sound like an utter insult to the institution of higher education such as fictional (but may have real-life coincidences) course titles like “Pottery for the Deftly-Fingered” or “To Love or Not to Love – Exploring Tennis Beyond the Court and Balls”.

If you’re not, then you are in for a long marathon email ping-pong session, because most likely and more often than not, the office(s) involved in your module approval  and credit transfer application are so jaded with similar email requests that they dread and will delay the process by giving your email a little tour through the entire cesspool ecosystem (or part thereof), from the piranhas to the tadpoles, and finally ending up in your inbox again telling you, “Dear student, you forgot to add this and that…please resubmit your application…”.

At this point, you’re probably hurling insults, either inwardly or verbally, at the sender. If you’re like me, you’re probably not alone! *wry smile* But what else can you do, except to wait and wait until you get what you want done. Good luck, fellow exchange returnees.

Freshman year can seem like a total playground. Especially after the harrowing studying sessions during GCSE A-Levels and for the local boys, 2 years of military service in the army. You can wear whatever you want, have complete ownership of your timetable and freedom, including whether you actually want to go to class or not, and when you can have lunch or dessert or a quick nap in your room at the halls of residence. But seriously, to be a freshman, you have to be at least 18 years old, so the least you could do is act like a grown-up, if that is too much to ask at least more responsible than the average teenager. By some stroke of genius or luck, you have earned yourself a place at university, so cherish this opportunity, and behave like a true college student.

It wasn’t a long time ago when I was fresh-faced and stumbling into the wrong tutorial rooms more often than I could count. Me getting lost on an unfamiliar campus wasn’t a distant memory, but one thing is for sure, I sure didn’t remember myself acting like a complete single brain-cell obnoxious little brat coming straight from preschool, oops I meant, pre-university. The rules are actually pretty simple, and not anything that we as students haven’t heard or seen before. Pay respect to whoever is speaking up front, or keep quiet at least, and try not to show the whole world what a nuisance you are.

So, yes, as a senior who has to sit through two introductory classes brimming with still-blue-in-the-face freshies, here is some advice for you before somebody gets annoyed enough and dumps hot coffee onto your newly-wrapped shiny textbooks bought at full price at the co-op.

#1 Take your conversation outside the lecture theatre.
Seriously, nobody cares about what you have to say, especially when everyone else is trying to concentrate on the more important things the professor is saying.

#2 Get off Facebook, MSN or what-have-you.
If you can’t stand being away from the Internet and all its vices for a mere two hours to sit quietly and concentrate on a lecture, then you don’t belong there.

#3 Quit groaning about the lecture material.
Of course it is difficult. Who ever said it’s gonna be easy? If you’re looking for easy, then maybe a minimum-wage job will suit you just well. If not, suck it up, and do your work. Now, wait for your brain cells to multiply, and it’ll all become easier…in time to come.

#4 Please, no cliquey big-group gatherings in the middle of nowhere.
I know you have just found your BFFs (oh joy to the world!) in your orientation week camps and activities. But that doesn’t give you and your 20 best friends the right to block up half of the hallway, or the cafeteria, so that you guys can catch up, squeal and talk about how cute the seniors are.

#5 Dress like a college student.
I know, there is no standard manual to say what you should or shouldn’t wear. And you’re only too happy to wear something other than a drabby uniform to school. But please, dragging your heels in ugly flipflops (the kind you only wear in shower stalls) or (heaven forbid) Crocs, and ill-fitting ensembles are going to make school doubly awful for everyone who has to cross your path. And for the beauty queens, you can also give your high heels a break (pun intended) and leave them at home. Let the hunks come to you, for your intelligence and not the superficial.

If only The Freshman would listen.
(But as you know, in a few weeks’ time, the seniors would be too busy to give half a hoot.)

Remember the days when it’s cool to greet your friends with a resounding “Whassup!!!”, say “who let the dogs out?”, download songs illegally on this amazing program called Napster, have crimped hair for girls, spend hours obsessing about Justin Timberlake, ogling every other cutie on MTV and have long three-way gossip phone marathons (before the era of widespread instant messaging)… So, ladies, leave your men at home, take a listen to some of these not-that-innocent hits from the late 90s and early 00s and reminisce about the good ol’ days of what it felt like for a girl! You know better than anyone else that what a girl wants is nothing but music that’s as addictive as popping bubble gum and cheesier than ever, but oh-so-good nonetheless.

Some you may know all the lyrics by heart (but don’t let anyone know), and some may be long forgotten…but one thing is for sure, they will bring those memories rushing back! (There are WAY too many, here’s a *hopefully* good and classic sample of the music of that era)

The Dancey!
Britney Spears – Oops I Did It Again!
*NSYNC – It’s Gonna Be Me
Destiny’s Child – Jumpin’ Jumpin’
Janet Jackson – Doesn’t Really Matter
a1 – Summertime of Our Lives
Jennifer Lopez – Waiting For Tonight

The Pop!
Joy Enriquez – Tell Me How You Feel
Samantha Mumba – Gotta Tell You
Savage Garden – The Animal Song
Mandy Moore – Crush
Blondie – Maria
Enriquez Iglesias – Be With You
Toploader – Dancing In The Moonlight
Jessica Simpson – I Think I’m In Love With You

The Sing-Alongs!
Shania Twain – Man! I Feel Like A Woman
LeAnn Rimes – Can’t Fight The Moonlight
Christina Aguilera – Genie In A Bottle
Vitamin C – Put A Smile On Your Face
Madonna – American Pie
The Corrs – Breathless
Dido – Thank You

The Sexy!
Craig David – Seven Days
Sisqo – Incomplete
Jordan Knight – Give It To Me

The Soppy!
Atomic Kitten – Whole Again
Ronan Keating – When You Say Nothing At All
Bardot – I Should’ve Never Let You Go
Sarah McLachlan – I Will Remember You
Pearl Jam – Last Kiss

The Edgy!
Placebo – Every You Every Me
Garbage – The World Is Not Enough
Macy Gray & Black Eyed Peas – Request Line
Texas – Summer Son
No Doubt – Ex-Girlfriend
Filter – Take A Picture
Utada Hikaru – Can You Keep A Secret?
TLC – No Scrubs

The Rock!
Train – Drops of Jupiter
Third Eye Blind – Semi-Charmed Life
Goo Goo Dolls – Broadway
Wheatus – Teenage Dirtbag
Matchbox Twenty – Bent
Vertical Horizon – Everything You Want

The Cheesy!
S Club 7 – Two In A Million
A*Teens – Sugar Rush
Scandal’us – Me, Myself and I
Emilia – Big, Big World
Geri Halliwell – It’s Rainin’ Men

Never doubt the weather report. Even if most of the time it isn’t too accurate. Because most of the time it is, as much as you don’t like or want to believe (for fear of disappointment or overconfidence in own abilities to predict weather). Arriving at Katoomba after a gruelling (ok, it wasn’t so bad…just really excruciating slow) 3-4 hour train ride from Sydney’s Central railway station, we hopped off the train, ready to stretch our legs but were instead greeted rather rudely by the startling chill. How cold can it get? We scoffed, but now we swallowed hard and braced ourselves for the 4 deg C cold at an altitude of more than 1,000m.

Confident that there would still be hostel vacancies (since it’s off peak season and all), we marched up to the YHA in the dwindling sunlight, a half an hour trek around the town area of Katoomba which felt like 3 lifetimes, and managed to secure some beds for the night. The YHA hostel was a cosy wooden two-storey building with the likes of a ski lodge, complete with a rec room, a dining hall, a spacious kitchen, and all the things you’d find in a comfy hostel. (Wished I remembered flipflops though, because I ended up walking around in socks.)

The town was awfully eerie after sundown, especially with the teeth-chattering wind chill that seeped through to the bones, and the occasional strong gusts of freezing air that rushed up to us whenever we passed a street junction, where the straight and squat rows of cinnamon-red cinderblock buildings gave way to a little road for cars to pass through. Popped right into a toasty and busy little pizza parlour where business was brisk and people wove in and out endlessly. It was as though the whole town felt like pizza that night — rowdy families, cosy couples and raucous college kids formed a varied backdrop whilst the stifling aroma of ham and cheese sizzling in hot oil filled the boxy little space. You wouldn’t have expected this from the silence of the streets outside. Post-pizza, time for a little drink to warm us up a bit…!

The Old City Bank Bar & Brasserie looked rather inviting with warm orange lights illuminating the interiors of the stately-looking brick house. In here, it was like a completely different world from the pizza place, sophisticated twenty to thirtysomethings gossiped and flirted with one another in little pockets, nursing one fancy cocktail after another, while the older crowd looked like they were having one of those “philosophical chats” over a gin and tonic or two. It was virtually impossible to talk over the cacophony of 2,000 simultaneous (non-)conversations in the cavernous high-ceiling room, but somehow messages were conveyed through an overly vehement nod or merely a seductive gaze in one’s direction. The atmosphere was a little sultry with a live band blaring right in our faces, the music had a vintagey, folky feel… a symphony of sounds from a classical guitar, harmonica and drums, and the singer’s hauntingly high warbling notes. For a moment, everything seemed to blur into the background, into the orange light, into the many beautiful alien faces…and you could almost, just almost, forget about the world.

What’s a girl to do when she does not have an internship (oh, blame the economy!), nor a summer program to attend? Especially after a semester abroad filled with adventures, parties and fun/strange encounters, nothing is ever going to top that, unless I can win the lottery and go backpack around Europe.

Not that I’m NOT fretting. But nothing to do might just be the very thing I need, to wind down from the excitement, to reflect on what I’ve done (and not done) and to rethink about my future (a nicer way of saying ‘mope about my impending doom’).

If I could, I would book the first flight out and laze in the sun on a sunny beach in Thailand…but no, I’m just stuck at home and I’m not about to spend this summer working a 9-to-5 minimum-wage job.

While the economy is in the dumps, and while I spend my days dreaming about a Roman Holiday, what can I do, besides sleeping 18 hours a day and waiting for my Kenting tan to fade away?

Pick up a new language!
I mean, my dream of backpacking in Europe is going to come true! By hook, or by crook. So why not prepare for it by learning a European language or two? Or fulfil your spy fantasy by picking up something exotic!  Konichiwa!

Read a book!
Okay, I practically didn’t read anything except my notes right before the finals (very reluctantly, in fact). So this is a good time to put some brain cells back into my head and curl up with a nice book.

Work out!
I bet I’m not the only one who has neglected to exercise, whether you are too busy studying or partying over the last semester. And you’re regretting it now because you NEED that bikini bod to soak up the summer sunshine! Better late than never, there’s always next summer…or if you are fit enough, the last rays of this summer are for you to catch!

Meet up with an old friend.
What are friends for? More importantly, what are old friends for? Besides reminiscing about old times and harping over old crushes, you can reconnect and make plans to go shopping, ogle at cute boys at the coffee joint or a short holiday!

Go on a holiday!
Well, I’ve been dreaming about this one. And hopefully, before summer winds down to an end, I can make it happen. Six more weeks to go!

Well, if I can achieve at least 3 out of 5, I’d at least be a advanced beginner in a new spiffy language, have a bodalicious physique to fit into all the back-to-school outfits, AND a funny vacation story to tell!

Studying abroad is undoubtedly one of, if not the most, memorable experiences a college student is going to get, besides the one time when you get super drunk and fall headfirst, naked, into someone’s pool with a bucket over your head. My semester in HKU, truth be told, was a spiritual and emotional rollercoaster, full of ups and downs, Kodak moments, cringe-worthy awkward moments…you name it I’ve probably gone through it.

I still remembered the excitement and trepidation I felt the moment I landed after my very short 4-hour flight from home, stepping through the sliding doors of the airport into the wintry cold air in HK. Everything looked so familiar yet foreign at the same time. There was a whiff of uncertainty and adventure in the air, and I knew this is it, this is my moment, and I’m here to find myself…be it the good, the bad, the weird or the ugly, I will treasure this journey.

Till this moment, I still scoffed inwardly at my friends who had intense pangs where they missed home so much they wanted to book the first flight back. Coming from a predominantly Asian society, where MOST kids live with their parents till they are married (oh, God forbid, but what choice do we have), I thoroughly relish this little piece of haven, this refreshing taste of freedom that comes with studying abroad. My own space, my own responsibility, my own life, in my own hands. Our parents will always think of us as their babies, whether we are 5, 15 or 35. But something inside us tells us, they can’t hold onto us forever, and one day they will have to let us find ourselves…and the journey began.

I started the semester, hopeful to learn something new, not so fresh-faced as an exchange student that merged seamlessly into a sea of Asian faces, excited to be in a new place all by myself, psyched to have a whole new territory to explore. Eventually, as the semester went on, the novelty quickly wore off, as of most things, and everything began to become repetitive cycles of normalcy — grocery-shopping, check; laundry, check; cooking for one, check; waking up by myself in the morning (though not quite successfully), check; going to the doctor, check; partying till 5am, check. There wasn’t anything I couldn’t really deal with at all, and I finally felt like I was growing up.

The lectures were at best intriguing, because everything I hear about HK I hear it for the first time, and everything sounded interesting and new to me, but not the local students — from their deadpanned expressions I could tell they have heard it at least a thousand times. There weren’t any tutorials, something I could really really get used to. The readings were minimal; but the papers were hellish to write. Moreover, having the pass-fail option at the back of my mind didn’t help to alleviate my affliction of chronic procrastination. It was easy to skip classes and justify it by saying ‘Oh hell, I could still pass without going to one lecture”, and one lecture became two, and then three and there was the fourth…and was it the fifth time? And before you know it, exams are round the corner, and you thought HOLY CRAP, I only went for two lectures for that class for the entire semester, the first one to “make a good first impression” and the random one because you had to submit your paper in class.

And there was all the explorations around HK over the weekends, and getaway trips in China. There were easily the best part of studying abroad here, the hiking in the countryside, enjoying the non-urban scenery and for once getting away from all the air and noise pollution in the city. The natural landscape in HK was surprisingly beautiful. I am baffled how HK was never portrayed as a place boasting spectacular sightseeing sites and hiking trails. The shopping was only okay, it wasn’t as though there weren’t H&M and Sephora in other cities, and the local brands weren’t must-buy fantastic either. On the other hand, the food was amazing, especially if you’re willing to part with a little more money, you can find gastronomical deals at yummy rates in an equally sweet ambience. The dimsum was obviously THE thing to try, but the Japanese and Western cuisines aren’t too shabby either.

I would proudly say that HK wasn’t a bad choice at all, and now looking back, the places I’ve explored, the food I’ve tasted and the friends I’ve met…I *could* probably ask for more, but right now, it couldn’t be more perfect as it is.

It’s the end of the semester…I’m not ashamed to say that I didn’t quite miss home much. Not because I don’t love the feeling of being home and being around people I’m familiar with, but I was so utterly sick of being stuck in the same place for all twenty years of my life and I just can’t wait to break out of my shell and see the world. I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing but this experience tells me that I needed this. I am more certain than ever about what I want in life, and I want to be out there to overcome any fear of being alone in a new place, to immerse myself in a new culture, to learn a new language and to begin living through all my five senses.

But before I dream about all of that, I just want to finish the finals so I can lounge on the beach in the likes of Stanley and Repulse Bay and enjoy the summer sun before heading home to the disgustingly artificial sands in Sentosa.

Slumdog Millionaire is easily one of the best movies of this decade. It’s everything a modern-day movie ought to be: Poignant, dramatic, and romantic.

It inspires, educates and entertains, plus it opens your eyes to one of the most shocking human rights issues in recent times.

1. It won Best Picture in the Oscars! What can I say, it has the Oscar stamp of approval.

2. It keeps your heart racing from start to end.

3. There are no Hollywood movie stars distracting you from appreciating the drama and cinematography.

4. It brings you through all kinds of emotion: joy, sadness, fear, disgust, horrow, surprise, panic, excitement… a good emotional rollercoaster.

5. The ending will keep you smiling for hours on end after you leave the theater.

As I sat comfortably in the brown pinewood chair in the Starbucks on campus, quietly enjoying the solitude of savouring a quiche and my favourite drink, a refreshingly delightful iced caramel macchiato with additional whipped cream on top, I mused about the sense of comfort and familiarity Starbucks has begun to bestow upon me every time I walk through the glass doors with its characteristically deep green shuttered roof above my head. The staff always have a mega-watt smile on their faces, ready to take your orders and make your day a better one by serving up your favourite pick-me-up, although some outlets do make better macchiatos than others.

We didn’t have a Starbucks on campus back home, so imagine my delight when I stepped on campus here in HKU a few weeks ago to see the round, green and white sign that is easily the most recognizable worldwide (with the exception of the Golden Arches of course). And imagine the added euphoria and pleasant surprise to know that students get a discount off the menu in the campus branch. Oh, needless to say, I’ll be living off this place quite a bit, when I crave that much needed break from all the MSG-laden Chinese food here.

I begin to wonder, what is the allure of this place, and why does it seem to have such a powerful hold over us, us meaning people who couldn’t help but gravitate towards Starbucks, happily surrendering 6 dollars for a cup of exorbitantly-priced coffee, and instantly let the effect sink in…all the serotonin beginning to flood our bloodstream. Is it a placebo effect or has Starbucks become a true sanctuary for the busy cityslicker who just needs a respite from all the hustle and bustle?

Sipping on my iced coffee in 15°C weather here on campus, I sat and my inner eavesdropper began picking up the ongoing conversations around me. Even though this is campus, it is clearly evident that not everyone sitting in there is a college student, as I witnessed a Polish lady in her mid 30s sitting by herself in one corner, approached by a Finnish lady of around her age who seemed equally lonely in the busy coffee joint, and began striking up a lively conversation about their new life in Hong Kong. A young couple cosied up to one another at the side, staring intently at their Toshiba laptop before them, occasionally letting a knowing hearty laugh escape their lips before resuming their task. A bohemian-chic girl lounged in a chair opposite me, fingering her cup of coffee on the table, listening to her iPod, looking like she desperately needed a cigarette (but of course she can’t ‘cos you can’t smoke inside the joint – no pun intended).

A clink of the glass and spoon, a chug of the coffee maker, a holler from the barista, a tinkle of the bell as the door swings open — a cacophony of your usual Starbucks sounds, a little noisy yes, but nonetheless sedative, calming and therapeutic on the soul. Chai, caramel macchiato or chocolate, pick your poison and feel the happy effects settling in. You know you’d love it.

Anyone who has studied abroad can tell you that there are countless perks of studying abroad, like not having to bust your ass to score because grades are non-transferable, easier courses (depending on whether you traded up/down in your choice of host university), freedom to date exotic, foreign students, being able to explore other sides of your persona on campus and not having to worry about consequences (i.e what people think about you since most of them don’t know you anyway)… Indeed, studying abroad is a fun and rewarding experience, be it physically, spiritually or intellectually.

I know many people don’t really see studying abroad as an opportunity to explore academic pursuits and stretch their intellectual potential. I also know not all students enjoy the benefits of just having to pass the courses taken overseas to earn the credits that count towards graduation. But I know for sure that the desire to travel around a foreign place and party with new-found friends is irresistible, and even the most inspired and diligent student lets loose and goes a little wilder than usual.

Despite so, I try to keep myself grounded and remind myself constantly of my purpose, and vow not to end up like many a drunken exchange student whose unbecoming photos end up on Facebook. (Remember, even though people overseas may not know you or remember what you did, the photos may circulate and end up on FB where people who actually know you WILL see them!) Exploring the host university’s campus and what it has to offer for its own students and visiting ones alike, is one thing that’s very much neglected, especially in the face of all the great fun and adventures that await you.

Many exchange students take advantage of the fact that since they are overseas, nobody knows them, and they can do anything they want…in the negative sense of course, like skipping out on one too many classes, propping legs up over chairs in lectures, pigging out and talking on the cellphone in class…things they usually wouldn’t do back home because they wouldn’t want to piss a professor they are going to face for the next couple of semesters off. But since they are only going to be overseas for one semester, it doesn’t matter if the prof is mad…as long as they pass the course.

Why not exercise your privilege of being the ‘foreign student’, but reverse your mindset? Take advantage of your anonymity and say what you want! I am beginning to relish the fact that most people in class don’t know me and I probably won’t see my fellow lecture mates ever again, to do something that I would cringe to do back home — Ask questions and contribute in lecture.

It is definitely daunting and takes a lot of guts for one to shoot your hand up when the professor asks “Are there any questions?” because everyone is listening (or so you’d like to think) and you’d need to speak up and be succinct and articulate. You’re afraid that they would think that your question is silly, and that the professor would furrow his brow at you with the whole how-dare-you-ask-me-that expression. And as much as many websites and books giving advice to college kids encourage us to “ask questions! contribute in class! gain your participation points!”, you find yourself clamming up, your heart beating fast as you try to string the sentence up in your head…but you chicken out and before you know it, the moment has passed.

Since no-one knows me here, I’ve been using that to my advantage, and tried contributing in class. At first, it feels really odd to be yelling out answers to the professor — you can tell they love it, if not the class is just dead — but after a while, I realise it’s not as odd as I thought. In fact, once you start, other students began picking up the pace and started to contribute too, creating a lively discussion in the midst of a lecture that would otherwise be just a monologue. It is a refreshing experience, and yes it may be kind of annoying — thus the existence of the whole ”Keep Your Fucking Hand Down in Lecture and Shut Up. No One Cares” Facebook group.

Why must we be afraid of contributing in class? We are all in college to learn, and there is no better way than making your voice heard and clarifying your doubts on the spot. Sure, I’m being a hypocrite by being a member of that Facebook group (which seemed pretty offensive to me now as I look at it), but I know better now. It is okay to raise your hand, to raise your point. You should care (what do you mean ‘no one cares’), and your professor definitely appreciates the fact that you are thinking about what he/she is saying and that you are critically analysing the issues at hand. Besides, you have some participation points to earn anyway. And it’s not high school anymore, you don’t have to worry about what others think, or the labels they tag on you, as long as you’re confident of what you say in class (and not make snide, sarcastic remarks, of course). At the end of the day, you’re responsible for your own education. Be brave and speak your mind.