Have you heard the one about the absent-minded professor?

Well, maybe it's not that funny anymore. But, college humor has come a long way since those early days of slapstick comedy and vaudeville routines. College students and instructors are some of the wittiest, funniest, and most profane people around, and they can crank out jokes, slogans, and stories that will have listeners in stitches in no time flat.

We often make light of stressful situations to survive them. College is one of the most stressful places for many people, which is why humor plays a key role in helping students and professors deal with tight deadlines, difficult subject matter, and back-to-back classes. Even professors occasionally joke in class or present a humorous approach to some of their lessons in an effort to enliven the classroom atmosphere.

Humor about college can take many forms. Off-color jokes and one-liners abound at fraternity parties and campus bars. These may involve sex, race, and drinking, and some may cross traditional boundaries. Profanity often plays a role in this type of humor. Those who use it claim that disparaging comments about others can relieve stress. The down side, though, is that when made publicly, such comments can lead to sexual harassment complaints. It is best to avoid this type of humor when possible.

Another type of college humor centers on pitting intellect against simplicity with characters like a professor being outwitted by a simple-minded farmer. This approach to comic relief puts education in its place, off the pedestal, so we don't take ourselves too seriously. In related scenarios, a professor or administrator may propose an intellectual approach to a non-academic problem, leading to a comic response.

There is also the good-natured type of college humor that uses common sense and folk wisdom to have a laugh at the expense of the establishment or mainstream society. Pulling the wool over someone's eyes has always been good for a joke. In some cases, the wit gets away with conning a victim who never saw it coming.

Humorous jokes or expressions about college can be found in magazines, on t-shirts, and in most other types of print or Internet media. Campus publications typically include cartoons, jokes, or humorous articles and editorials. If you know a college student, want to become a college student, or teach at the university level, check out some fresh college humor for a quick grin or belly laugh.

About The Author

Stuart Littlejohn writes slogans for funny t-shirts and other types of humor for the Web.