Alright, I can't be the only one who absolutely hates it when someone doesn't replies to them, right? Well, even if I am, I don't care. Buckle in y'all because it's about to get a little bumpy. You've been warned of the inevitable rant.
I can completely understand if you have a busy life and it's hard to check your messages, emails, and missed calls, but come on. I have a busy life with crap I have to do and yet I still find the time to check all my messages, emails, and etc. And I work my butt off every day to finish school assignments, work, writing both for the Odyssey and the DSU newspaper, and yet I can take five freakin' minutes to check my phone for any messages. You may have a hectic day every single day of the week and can hardly look at your phone or laptop, but I'll go ahead and tell you this: It takes five seconds to look at your phone and open your email app.
The fact that we as Americans value our time and don't want to spend more than 30 minutes waiting on anything is a sign that we are impatient. I'm not saying that I don't get upset when I have to wait 30 minutes to an hour on something, but the fact that we live in a society where someone could literally get a message to another person in less than five seconds says something. It's not hard to get information or talk to someone who lives in Idaho or New York anymore! We have the technology!
I'm sorry, but this has become a pet peeve of mine ever since high school. I get it that teachers and professors have a bunch of stuff to do: they have meetings with faculty and administration, they have homework assignments to look over, tests and essays to grade, and make lesson plans for the next day. I seriously get that. However, they can take a moment to answer an email or message.
As students we have all their assignments to complete and when we're not near them and we have a question, it's kinda nerve wracking when they don't respond back. And sometimes you need that question answered as soon as possible because you can't go any further with the assignment, essay, or homework. And since they don't respond within 15-20 minutes, you're left trying to figure it out yourself and possibly doing it all wrong. Then they respond long after you've completed it and tell you how to do it correctly, but you've finished and did it completely wrong so now you have to restart.
The joys of a student, right?
I try to always respond as soon as I get the message if I can, but I won't lie and say that I'm able to do so all the time. There are times where I'm driving or sleeping and I don't see the message until an hour or so later. And while I get that there are truly times where someone can't answer the message because they're in class, don't have service, or their phone/laptop is dead—you can still reply as soon as you're able to.
There shouldn't be any real excuse why people can't answer a damn message. Unless you don't have internet or cell service, you better answer that message. What if someone is dying or need help and they call, but, of course, you're away from your phone. You come back to see that you have a missed call, but you don't call them back. Now what are they going to do? They're screwed that's what. (Granted, if you feel like you're dying then you should call 911 and not your friend/family member who hardly ever answers your calls/texts in the first place.)
That being said, just answer the damn message. Even if you can't really answer completely, just reply that you're busy or in class and that you'll text them later. Or if you have a missed call, just send that person a text that you'll call them back in a few minutes. All you have to do is send a quick reply and then remember that you need to call/text them back after you've left class or you're done for the day. Don't leave them hanging in suspense.
