Tuition isn’t cheap. For the money that you could spend during four years at a prestigious private school (now approaching $200,000) could easily jumpstart a decent small business. And a small business wouldn’t leave you in debt for 20 years of your life.

Confronted with such a revelation, I’ve started to think of college as a subscription that I choose to pay for. While this outlook is–of course–not entirely realistic, it forces me to get the most out of my education. At LMU classes run about $2 per minute. If I didn’t have to pay for a one hour class I could probably eat for a month.

By viewing my classes as something I choose to pay for, I am much more aggressive when it comes to wasted time. I talk to my professors after class, visit their office hours, and milk every academic outlet for all that it’s worth. After all, I am paying a pretty penny for it.

This view also holds myself to a higher standard. Grades are not something that a professor assigns to me, but rather whatever I assign to myself. I’m paying for my education therefore I should decide my education. Unfortunately, not all professors will see eye to eye on this, but many seem to identify the students sincerely serious (hey-o) about their education.

So the next time you think about skipping class, ask yourself, “Is it realy worth the x dollars that I already spent for this class?” If a class is boring (and you’re at a smaller school) pester your professor to raise the the bar and engage the students. Professors that refuse to comply are the types that probably don’t get tenure.

Forward march.