The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a pet peeve as “a frequent subject of complaint.”

And everybody has them. Whether it is an annoyance with people who smack gum, people who snore or talk too much – there is always something that makes a person tick and members of the Eastern community are no exception.

A common pet peeve for professors is disruptive sounds in the classroom. Chemistry professor Yuhua Lu said her pet peeve is when students talk in class, especially when they are coming in late. These students disrupt the other students who are there to learn, Lu said. She added there is no special way to handle this peeve.

“Just try to be professional,” Lu said.

In her book “Complaining, Teasing, and Other Annoying Behaviors,” psychology professor Robin M. Kowalski and her students at Clemson University, South Carolina, studied pet peeves extensively.

“When people are called upon to think about all of their pet peeves, they seem to have no difficulty generating a list,” Kowalski said in her book.

In her study, Kowalski placed pet peeves in different categories including health, social behavior, personality, hygiene, manners, disrespect, unconscious annoyances and acting out in public. Many of the behaviors Kowalski studied can be seen in a classroom everyday. And in a classroom often with fewer than 20 students, professors are not the only ones who get “peeved.”

Elizabeth Mahannah, a freshman graphic design major, said she hates when her peers talk while the professor is speaking. Mahannah said she would tell them to be quiet if they are close. If not, she tries to ignore it.

Mahannah said she thinks the professor could ask the people to be quiet more often in lecture halls and classes.

Molly Clark, a freshman nursing major, is annoyed when people text in class and make noise during lectures, but she tries to ignore them. Clark said the professor can either address the problem, or try to ignore it.

Donta Williams, a sophomore sociology major, said she gets annoyed when she takes a test and “random sounds go off.”

Williams agrees with Mahannah and Clark that the professor should ask these students to leave, or give them a warning if it is their first time.

Another classroom pet peeve is when students do not take notes. English professor Lucinda Berry said when her students do not write things down, she will nag them.

“I don’t think students can remember all that they need to remember without taking notes,” Berry said.

Melanie Mills, a communication studies and women’s studies professor, said her classroom pet peeve is when a student asks a question about something that is on the class syllabus. Mills said her peeve developed when she realized how often she repeated herself.

“I’m a lot more likely to tell them to look it up themselves on the syllabus,” Mills said. “Since your education is preparation for good living, I think it’s important to be aware of how to find things for yourself.”

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].