We all get it. The question that makes us want to lash out at whatever innocent relative asked it. We hear it at least five times during every family gathering. They think it’s a good conversation starter, but it really just gives you extreme anxiety.
“How is school going this year?” It’s terrifying.
So rather than giving death glares to whatever innocent bystander asks you this question, here are some ways to avoid being asked this question:
-- Whenever you sense the question is about to be asked, just shove the biggest helping of mashed potatoes that you can find into your mouth. Your relative will not know what to make of this and will probably be so distracted that he or she forgets his or her question. If they still ask the question anyway, just keep chewing long past the acceptable period of time a person is willing to hear your answer. The relative will forget that they even asked after a solid five minutes of you chewing your mashed potatoes.
-- The most common time for this question to be asked is when there is an awkward silence in the room. If you encounter this, just talk as much as possible. Talk about the weather. Talk about the recent Bengals-Browns game. Talk about what you did last week. Talk about anything you can think of. Just don’t allow enough time for your relative to feel awkward and want to ask you a question.
-- If you bring it up first, you might feel more comfortable answering questions. Make it a point to talk about how great you did in your easiest GEC class this semester. “Guess what, Grandma! I got an A in The History of Beer!” Grandma will surely be proud. If this leads to more questions about how the rest of your schooling is going, just constantly refer back to the A you got in The History of Beer.
-- Reflect the question. Answer the question with another question. This strategy not only helps to avoid the original question, but it also makes you look like you have a genuine interest in you relatives’ lives. Plus, this is a totally useful skill to practice in life. When your next professor asks you a question you don’t know the answer to, just be ready with another question. The people of academia, and the people in your family, are really into questions.
The reality of the issue is that your relatives probably don’t actually care about how you’re doing in school. They probably just want to hear about your life. If you bring up another topic they might be interested in, they will be less likely to ask you about your grades.
The best strategy I have used is to just get over it and answer the question. Spending quality time with your family is much more important than avoiding questions that really aren’t that bad. I think the vast majority of us are much harder on ourselves than our family members are. So this holiday season, worry less about school and just enjoy your time with your family.
