Is reading in class a sin?

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fencetennis

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So my friend and I were talking and it came out that I have been spending my time in math class reading Saint Therese’s “Story of a Soul.” My friend says that it is a sin because I am disobedient by not listening fully to the lecture. However, I learn all my math outside of class because my professor’s lectures are way over my head (the class is differential equations and I have always really struggled at math).

My goal for the course was to pass with a C. The last week of class I have been reading because my grade is now guaranteed to be a C since I have built up enough points over the semester.

So, given the situation, was my time spent reading during the final three classes sinful?
 
I hope you find the reading of that particular book profitable, and keep reading (on your own time, not your teacher’s time) because you will find Therese emphasizes over and over attention to doing your duty at each moment with love and without grumbling. As a student your duty in each class is the work of that class and attention to that teacher, which will be of far more spiritual benefit than even the best reading done at the wrong time. She will also tell you not to be content with getting “C’s” in spiritual life or in doing your duty. Put the book down and concentrate on mastering differential equations. That course is the flunk-out course for a lot of college majors you would not suspect.
 
I appreciate the response and understand that I need to do my duty as a student by doing my best in the course. Yet I already spend double the amount of time out of class learning differential equations than I do in class. Once again, this is not because I do not listen but is due to the fact that I rarely learn material from my professor’s general lectures. Getting a C in this course is challenging, and I have only been able to do so because I put so much time into the homework and tutoring sessions.

Also, reading in public and bringing books around with you seems to be a pretty simple way to evangelize. In that light, is reading in class then simply a wrong means to a good end?
 
fencetennis said:
I appreciate the response and understand that I need to do my duty as a student by doing my best in the course. Yet I already spend double the amount of time out of class learning differential equations than I do in class. Once again, this is not because I do not listen but is due to the fact that I rarely learn material from my professor’s general lectures. Getting a C in this course is challenging, and I have only been able to do so because I put so much time into the homework and tutoring sessions.

Also, reading in public and bringing books around with you seems to be a pretty simple way to evangelize. In that light, is reading in class then simply a wrong means to a good end?
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what does Therese say about your question? keep reading. on your own time. You owe a duty to that teacher under the 4th commandment of respect and attention in that class.
 
Let us worship the Lord!

While reading that very, very fine book is not itself a sin, you are not getting all that you can out of your class. We are called to be stewards of creation. If you are not getting all you could out of this class, you are wasting money, which could be going to feed the hungry and clothe the poor, and time, which could be used for many important things. Our God is also the God of math. If you are struggling, it is doubly important that you pay attention and try to learn. Wether it is your resources or your parents’, you should be putting them to good use. Though, very respectfully, I’m not sure of the fourth commandment applies here. I find that one tends to be stretched a bit thin, but your milage may vary.
 
So you struggle with math.
You are not listening to your professor in math.
You are doing something else in math class (reading unrelated material).

Not a very wise use of time, IMO. It is really difficult to understand your professor when you are not even listening! lol.

I currently have a very intelligent student in my class. He is very knowledgeable in many subjects, and it is clear his parents spend a lot of time reading, enriching, and encouraging his education. However, EVERY DAY I have to ask him to put his reading book away during teaching time. He misses significant points in class because he is so distracted by his independent reading. He is currently earning Bs in most classes, where he could easily have As, but due to the in-class reading and missing key points I make during teaching time, he is lower.

Listen during lecture.
 
Are you or are your parent’s paying for your education?

P.S. You struggle with Math because you fail to apply yourself toward learning or even listening to the discussion of the subject.
 
Thanks for the responses. I talked with my priest and many friends about it and now agree that it is sinful because in math class I am supposed to do math. Sleeping, daydreaming, and reading are sinful because they are done at the wrong time and place.

For the record, I struggle at math because I have always struggled at math; my brain can write essays and comprehend readings, but I find math very difficult conceptually. Knowing my weakness in math has always made me more considerate when dealing with people who struggle with concepts that may seem straightforward to me. We all have different gifts and different challenges–that’s part of what makes us human.
 
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