It could be a wrong impression, but it seems to us that over the last decade there have been more students arriving at university or a university class with an over confidence in their mental acuity and skills. They know what should be taught, how it should be taught, and how it should be assessed. Furthermore, they know the right or best way and answer. In their eyes, they know more than you do. They are convinced of it. They are possibly taking the course as an unhappy camper because it will be waste of time in their opinion, because they know the course material already. They should be the ones at the front of the class, not sitting in the audience, and they want to tell you how to do your job.
It is not fair to stereotype all of the pre-educated students with the same traits and characteristics. There are indeed some students who have had additional education and training in the subject and understand to some degree what they know and do not know. They might possibly understand that the course is about all of the students and not the select few that might know some of the material in advance. They might also know how to use the time productively, to help others and thus learn at a deeper level themselves. They might also know to approach the instructor and explain their background, asking for additional material perhaps of a broader or more advanced level. We are not talking about these students. In this note, we are largely focusing on the students who are the polar opposite. The gifted and more able students are rarely discussed within the context of the college course, but many of the same points from the primary and secondary school literature apply (see further reading items).