You may be tempted to go for the short and easy answer and state that your professors are the ones responsible for educating you. They’re the ones being paid by the university — or more accurately, by you — to share their knowledge with all of us.

As obvious as this may seem, however, this answer is only partially correct. So we may have to deduct some points from your final score.

You are just as responsible for your education as the individuals who teach you.

As a student, you can’t simply pat yourself on the back for going to class.

So you show up. You probably even take a few notes. You tell yourself that simply by being in the same room as your professor you’re bound to learn something — but unless you’re some sort of hybrid human-sponge creature, this could not be further from the truth.

We get it. It’s a drag having to go to that required philosophy class first thing in the morning, but we say that you should focus on the positive.

Our university is committed to an educational model that focuses on the growth of the whole person — that may read like a line ripped straight from a recruitment brochure, but you’re living proof.

In a world where higher education is becoming more and more industrialized, we are lucky to attend an institution that thinks it is important that we are exposed to various disciplines of study, instead of a basic one-size-fits-all education. And this is a good thing, because simply going to college isn’t enough anymore. Society needs individuals with multiple skills and a well-rounded perspective.

So care about the ideas you are exposed to. Don’t forget that your access to knowledge is a privilege. Engage with your professor. Ask them questions and don’t be afraid to challenge what they say.

You may just find yourself changing that one required philosophy course into your major. At the very least, if the subject of free will ever comes up at the dinner table, you’ll be able to keep up.

Feigning apathy about the ideas you are exposed to ultimately only hurt you. Yes, believe us, we know how hard it is to care about those pesky ACC requirements — especially since we’re about to head into the final weeks of the semester and winter break seems so close.

But keep an open mind, ask questions, and most importantly, don’t treat ignorance or a lack of interest toward a subject as some sort of virtue.

We’re already paying an arm and a leg for this education; we may as well make sure our brains get their money’s worth.