Poor Seat Etiquette

I am currently studying for the bar. There are about 300 people in the auditorium. Like most people, I arrived 10-15 minutes early for the first few weeks to secure the seat of my choosing. I am fully aware that absent a seating chart, no one may stake a claim to a seat indefinitely. However, MOST people in the room sit in approximately the same place every day. Due to the highly stressful nature of the bar, schedule and routine are one of the few things you can control, and thus one of the few sources of comfort during this hellish time.

I sit on the end because I am a person who drinks a lot of coffee and sometimes needs to use the restroom in the middle of class. I also have mild claustrophobia and like the security of the end seat. End seats are popular, so I make sure to get to class early enough to secure this coveted spot. I have sit in the exact same seat for about 6 weeks. Our bar lectures are about 3.5 hours, and there are two 10-minute breaks.

Today when I came back to my seat after the first break, someone was sitting in it. I was of course taken aback. Not only have I sat there for the entire summer, but I had been sitting there all morning. I said, "excuse me, I was sitting there." This person just looked at me and said, "I didn't know that." Despite the fact that my things were there. She did NOT move. I had to gather all of my things and move.

So I ask...WHO steals someone's seat? Who changes a seat in the middle of lecture? Who doesn't move once she finds out that someone was already sitting there? A big, big jerk, that's who. A very rude, inconsiderate, selfish person. I'm not saying I deserve any one seat any more than another person...but I got there first. And sat there for a substantial portion of the day. What more need I do? NOT take a break? Place a reserved sign on it? Write my name on it? Hire a seat filler?

The bar is stressful enough. You don't need childish seat-stealing making it worse. Common courtesy...that's all I'm saying...