It seems to be a common misconception that college students have flexible time and commitments, and that we can adjust our schedules at the last minute or that we just have time to waste.

College students are strapped for time. It is just the nature of the college life. We have classes most of the day, and then when classes are over, we have homework. Many of us also have part-time jobs, which makes it even more difficult to accomplish all of the things we need to in a day.

Believe it or not, college students are adults whose time is valuable. If you ask a college student to do anything that wastes his or her precious time, chances are they aren’t going to feel favorably about it.

Professors, if you are going to give an assignment make it worth our time — have a reason behind it. College students are often given the “slacker” title because we don’t do assignments that aren’t for a grade.

But, look at it from our perspective: if we have class from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. then work from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. that only leaves three hours for homework if we go to bed by midnight. If we have four assignments due the next day and only two of them are for a grade, it is logical to spend the extra time on an assignment you are getting something out of.

Because college students don’t have all the time in the world, we have to prioritize our assignments and if we know the professor isn’t going to take it up, that time might be better applied elsewhere.

The argument comes up: if college students don’t have time to spend equally on all of their classes and assignments, why bother coming to college at all? Well, it just isn’t that simple.

College is an opportunity and a privilege, and just because you are tight on time doesn’t mean you can give it up so easily. Many of us are here on scholarships and government grants, and we don’t have money to live on so we have to work, and we can’t afford to drop out and lose the opportunity we have been afforded.

It’s a sad situation, but sometimes that means you work with the time you do have and make the best of it, so when professors are writing up their syllabi, perhaps they should consider eliminating assignments that require out of class time but aren’t for a grade.

Some of us are just getting by in college, and while professors shouldn’t have to accommodate slacker students, it would be nice to give those who are trying their best a break. Mostly, it is respect, professors don’t appreciate it when students waste their time, and we don’t appreciate it when you waste ours either.