Hi Rebecca, I start the class by letting everyone sit where they want. I come into the first class and we do an ice breaker, go over the syllabus, and set the stage for the class. This way the students select their own seats so don't complain about how I am doing the "high school" with them. Then the next class I put them into learning groups and I do this in a way that mixes up the students in relation to age, cliques and cohort groups. I assign them a case study or problem solving activity. At the end of this activity I then tell them that these are their assigned seats for the next few weeks. The students don't complain because they have already worked together so they see the value of sitting with each other to do future work. It is a bit of a game but it works. Gary