新的學期開始了。又一波大學新生走進象牙塔開始新的校園生活。走進教室去上課的時候，你一般會選擇哪裡的座位呢？前排？後排？還是中間？最新研究顯示，你在教室所選擇的座位或許有助於預測你的考試成績。為了有個好成績，選座也要謹慎啊！
Choice of seating in the lecture hall can affect a college student’s performance, a study suggests.
研究顯示，教室座位的選擇可能會影響大學生的學業成績。
Lectures are a staple of higher education, and understanding how students interact and learn within the lecture theatre environment is central to successful learning.
高等教育的主要授課內容都是在課堂中進行的，理解學生們在階梯教室的課堂環境中如何互動和學習對取得好的學習效果很關鍵。
Researchers from Sheffield Hallam University in the UK examined students’ reasons for choosing particular seats in a lecture hall, and investigated how seating positions correlate with student performance.
英國謝菲爾德哈勒姆大學的研究人員分析了學生們在課堂中選擇特定座位的原因，並調查了他們所選擇的座位和學業成績之間的關係。
“Interaction is a key part of learning and knowing who the students are interacting with can be a great benefit when designing activities,” said David P Smith of Sheffield Hallam University.
英國謝菲爾德哈勒姆大學的戴維·史密斯說：“互動是學習的關鍵部分，而在設置課堂活動的時候，知道學生在與什麼人互動會大有幫助。”
Many students preferred being able to sit with their friends, while others were more concerned with either attracting or avoiding the lecturer’s attention.
許多學生喜歡和朋友坐在一起，而另外一些學生則希望引起或避開授課老師的注意。
Some students chose seats that allowed them to see and hear clearly, while others picked easily vacatable seats that made them feel less anxious, researchers said.
有些學生選擇那些能讓他們可以清楚地看到和聽到老師講課的座位，而其他學生則偏愛那些讓他們覺得不那麼焦慮的座位，因為他們可以方便地起身離開教室。
Friendship groups who sat together tended to achieve similar grades, and students who sat alone at the edges tended to do worse than average.
坐在一起的一群朋友傾向於獲得相似的成績。而獨自坐在教室角落的學生的成績往往低於平均水平。
Lecturers may be able to use these findings to provide assistance to anxious students, and to support the learning of all students by encouraging interactions between the different groups.
老師們可以利用這項研究結果幫助焦慮的學生，並通過鼓勵不同學生群體之間的互動，來幫助所有學生的學習。
那麼，你最喜歡坐在教室的哪個位置呢？其實座位的挑選不僅能影響你的學業成績，還能反映出你的個性特徵。
前排
Appraising classroom rows based on academic success, some professors have observed that the front row remains prime sitting position typically held by outgoing scholarly students. “I notice the more prepared and personable students sit in front rows,” said Dr. Chris Hammons, interim dean of the College of Arts and Humanities and chair of the department of government (London). “Students in the front almost always score higher on exams.”
一些教授基於學業成就對學生在教室中的座位進行評價，他們注意到，開朗活潑且博學的學生最愛坐前排。藝術與人文學院的臨時院長、倫敦教育部門的主席克里斯-哈蒙斯博士說：“我注意到，準備越充分，越品貌兼優的學生越愛坐在前排。坐在前排的學生通常考試成績更好。”
Perhaps more importantly, the front row may be the ideal location for shy, timid students who have trouble paying attention. Also, sitting closer to the front of the room does have an effect on student-teacher rapport, which is linked to greater academic performance.
或許更重要的是，前排座位也是害羞膽怯學生的理想之選，因為他們總是不能集中注意力。而且，坐在教室前排還能促進師生關係和諧，從而帶來更好的學業表現。
According to a study published in 2013, GPAs decreased by 0.1 point on a four-point scale for every row further back students sit.
根據2013年發表的一項研究，學生每靠後坐一排，GPA成績就下降0.1分（總分為4分）。
中間
Still, some students prefer the middle rows. This location in the classroom can make paying attention difficult depending on the student. In fact, Dr. Robert Wallace, a member of the National Education Association, considers choosing to sit in the middle of the classroom one of the worst decisions a student can make. “In a classroom setting, a speaker’s eyes tend to go to the front of the room and the back,” he wrote in an article for Creators.com. “They don’t look at the centre of a room as often or with the same amount of attention.”
有些學生選擇坐在教室中間的座位，這種座位會使一些學生更難集中注意力。事實上，全美教育協會成員羅伯特-華萊士教授認為，中間排的座位是最差的選擇之一。他在發表於創作者網站的一篇文章中說：“在教室裡，老師的目光總是落在前排或者後排。他們不怎麼看中間排的學生，或者給予的關注沒那麼多。”
後排
If neither the front nor middle is suitable for a student, there can only be one other solution: the back.
如果前排和中間排都不合適，他們就只能坐在後排了。
For the broker on the value of classroom seating, the back row would have the lowest value. This fringe vicinity of the physical classroom often plays host to the biggest distractions.
如果要評估教室座位的價值，後排價值最低。後排是教室的邊緣地帶，學生最容易分心。
教室後排的學生最容易走神。後排的學生常常在聊天、玩電子遊戲或者在忙一些老師們肯定不知道的什麼事兒。在臉書等等社交媒體出現後，現在情況肯定是更糟糕了。
同一排選擇什麼座位？
Row placement is not the only critical decision students face when choosing a seat. The position of the seat within the row is equally important. Like being on an airplane or at church, the aisle usually gets taken first as it provides the most legroom and easiest escape route when students decide to duck out of class.
選座位的時候不僅要考慮選擇哪一排，同一排不同座位的挑選也同樣重要。就像在飛機上或教堂裡，靠近過道的座位總是先被佔，因為那裡伸腿空間更大，而且坐在靠過道的座位時，學生也最容易從教室溜走。
Students who are late the first day usually end up with middle seats, so punctuality is a good strategy for those seeking the aisle.
第一天上課就遲到的學生一般只能坐在中間的座位，所以如果想坐在邊上，你得早點到教室。
除了常見的座位排列，下面的幾種座位安排方式對某些課堂形式也很有好處。
Circle arrangement
座位排成一圈
When a teacher is conducting discussions, a circular arrangement can be apt to facilitate the flow of ideas, thoughts and expressions. Students have a clear view of the person expressing their opinions; educators find it easy to control the discussion and can also motivate passive students to pitch in.
老師組織學生進行討論時，座位排成一圈有助於學生們靈感迸發，積極表達。學生們都能看清楚誰在發言，老師們也能很容易掌控整個討論，還能激勵一些不那麼積極主動的學生參與進來。
Semi circular arrangement
座位排成半圓形
A semi-circular arrangement can be effective when audio-visual aids, interactive boards, etc. are being used. This ensures clear visibility for every student. Teachers can maintain eye contact with all students and also check to see that they are being attentive. This arrangement can assist in controlling the class as students are in the open and their actions can more easily be observed.
在使用視聽設備和互動板等教學用具時，座位排成半圓形效果很好。這能確保每位同學都看得清楚。老師能與所有同學保持目光接觸，看他們是否在認真聽講。學生們在戶外上課時，這種座位排列有助於控制課堂，學生的一舉一動能更容易被觀察到。
Round table arrangement
圓桌座位
Planning to give the students some group work? A round table arrangement is probably your best option. It encourages students to sit in friendly groups, facilitates free discussion and allows educators to monitor student work. However, the disadvantage is that there is high probability of students misbehaving when the teacher is not looking.
想讓學生們完成小組作業？圓桌座位或許是最好的選擇。這能鼓勵學生們友好地坐在一起，有助於促進自由討論，也讓老師能更好地監督學生的任務完成情況。但缺點是，老師沒注意到時，學生更容易搞小動作。
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