Imagine that you have just started a new job. On the first day after being introduced to your new boss by their title, you decide to constantly call your boss by their first name. Although you arrive at work on time for the first few weeks, eventually you start showing up later and later. Some days you don’t come in at all, and you tell your boss the reason for your absence is that you had somewhere more important to be. After you are assigned to a team task, you fail to communicate with any of your team members or show up to any team meetings. When your boss evaluates the little work you do complete, you loudly complain to anyone who will listen about how they evaluated you incorrectly. You then decide to send your boss lengthy emails telling them how to do their job better. Eventually, you stop showing up altogether.

Now you may be wondering, “Is this a true story? Did this person get fired?”

The answer to those questions are yes it is a true story, and no they didn’t get fired because they weren’t an employee. They were one of my students.

Any one of these unacceptable behaviors would easily get someone fired from the workplace, and yet countless college students behave this way in classes every day.

Here are just some of the behaviors that I see regularly in my college classrooms that would easily get someone fired if they were an employee:

1. Consistently showing up late or failing to show up to class
2. Sending emails to the professor that are in all caps, use profanity and insults, or that make demands
3. Causing disruptions during lectures or when other students are trying to work
4. Failing to complete assignments or trying to turn in assignments far beyond the deadline
5. Complaining to everyone about class assignments or the professor
6. Behaving rudely towards the professor in person
7. Lying to the professor about why they did not complete an assignment

Chances are, you wouldn’t engage in any of these behaviors in the workplace because any one of them could get you reprimanded or fired. Yet, these types of behaviors are commonplace in college classrooms, and many students believe that acting this way is perfectly acceptable. However, if you wouldn’t behave this way at work, you shouldn’t be behaving this way at school.

You may have already heard the adage that you should treat college like you would treat a job. Although it may seem cliché to say this, there are a number of compelling reasons why you should.

First, a college classroom is not Saturday night at the bar with your friends. It is a professional environment that should be treated as such. Sure, the dress code might be a little less formal than in your workplace, but just because you are sitting in class in jeans and a t-shirt doesn’t mean that you should interrupt your professor and curse like a sailor.

Second, professional conduct facilitates student success. You probably won’t last long in your job if you aren’t showing up for your shifts, and you also probably won’t pass a class if you can’t be bothered to attend regularly or do your homework. The same behaviors that lead to success in the workplace also lead to success in the classroom. If you show up every day on time, listen mindfully to lessons, follow assignment instructions and meet assignment deadlines, and communicate respectfully with your professor, you will ultimately be setting yourself up for success in the class. Class time is also an opportunity to prepare for your future career, so you will want to act professionally unless your future career plans involve getting fired a lot.

Third, past behavior influences future outcomes. Say you have spent your time in college behaving disrespectfully towards your professors and doing the bare minimum to get by in your classes. You’ve managed to graduate and now it is time to apply for a job or to graduate school. You now need three references or three letters of recommendation. Who is going to write you a glowing recommendation? The professor you emailed in all caps, cursing wildly and demanding a higher grade? The professor who barely remembers you because you only showed up to class for half of the semester? The professor you constantly mouthed off to and interrupted frequently during lectures? Chances are, if you behaved unprofessionally in your classes, there won’t be any professors clamoring to write you a recommendation.

Based on all of the above, it is clear that treating college like you would treat your job is critical for your success. There are no compelling reasons why you should not approach your education like a professional. After all, there is a reason why people call it your college career.