<p>Cannot a student be too argumentative? And challenge the professor too often? </p>
<p>More often than not, I don’t like it when a student challenges a learned professor with a Ph.D at my institution (not Chicago). If it becomes a common occurence, it can detract from the intellectual atmosphere. Granted, that’s largely because the student is usually wrong. But in any case, IMO, too many challenges thrown at the professor is a bad thing. It takes up too much class time and throws the professor off track. I think there is a fine line between positive challenges and arguments and negatives ones, between speaking out and biting the bullet and shutting up.</p>
<p>I have heard a Chicago student say something along these lines before, “Every class here always has one or two students who are always arguing with the professoer. In fact, this student has a name, ‘That kid.’ No one likes ‘that kid.’”</p>