“Twenty percent of students in the classroom are thinking about sex,” NW professor of government and history Laura Wood said.

Wood spoke Sept. 15 on NW Campus on what students and teachers don’t understand about each other in Tell Me What You Want, What You Really, Really Want … in the Classroom.

Wood referenced sex to illustrate why students don’t absorb everything in the classroom, as more than 75 listeners — some lined against the walls — overfilled the room.

She also listed common myths students have about professors.

“‘Professors are my opponents,’ ‘I don’t need to come to class to pass,’ ‘Professors will make exceptions for me,’ and ‘Professors can read my mind,’” she said.

Wood stretched out her arms to the room and said students need to understand that professors want success for them.

She also encouraged students to speak up because professors can’t read their minds, she said.

Toward the end of the session, Wood added one last piece of advice.

“Don’t assume that if you were an awesome high school student that you will be an awesome college student by doing exactly the same thing,” she said.