Einstein once said that it is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it.

What if college is no different? What if, for every exam you don't study for and every homework assignment you half-ass, you are obliged to make up, either now or later in life? What if that crappy cubicle job you'll have in lower management working for Bill Lumbergh for 10 years is just karma's way of saying, "I told you not to take so many Web classes"?

Then again, what if you don't want to take anything out of college and wouldn't mind working for Initech and pretending to enjoy Michael Bolton's music -- do you have to put anything back in? Do you really owe Penn State anything above and beyond $11,024 a year?

More importantly, what exactly do you owe your professors besides simply showing up?

The relationship between student and university is fairly straightforward. Student (or student's parents) pays money, university holds classes, constructs buildings and supports organizations. University anticipates certain obligations, and in turn, student has expectations of the administration. However, once inside the classroom, the reality becomes more personal and more complicated. Where exactly does "option" end and "obligation" begin?

At the beginning of every semester, it is evident via syllabuses that professors have certain obligations for students: attendance, respect, integrity and completion of assignments. But is there more? Eventually, there almost always is, and it usually surfaces right around midterms.

But student-professor responsibilities here at Penn State need to be better defined and regulated.

According to the University Faculty Senate Web site, www.psu.edu/ufs, "A student should attend every class for which the student is scheduled and should be held responsible for all work covered in the courses taken."

On the other hand, it also states, "No instructor has the right to change the regular schedule of classes ... without the consent of the dean of the college."

Professors miss class and expect students to make up time on weekends. Classes move too quickly and suddenly it's the students' obligation to come to class five minutes early. Suddenly, extracurricular lectures and seminars are required for participation grades.

I believe, in this sense, professors are violating university policy. And in this sense, the word "obligation" is inappropriate; the term "option" is more fitting.

Students schedule classes for the times outlined by the Office of the Registrar. No earlier, no later. We have other obligations: sports, jobs, etc., which we somehow miraculously squeeze in, while taking 18 credits. If we want the option to go above and beyond prescribed work, then we should have the opportunity to do so.

Professors have the same options when they create their course syllabuses; some provide notes, handouts and extensive materials for enrichment, while others simply lecture.

And when it comes to rectifying failed obligations, it seems that students get the short end of the stick. The worst a student may inflict on a professor is a sad face on Ratemyprofessors.com or a "You sucked" on the end-of-semester evaluations. The worst a professor may inflict: a failing grade.

I admit that students often violate their true obligations. But if they choose to pack up and leave before the professor mentions an exam answer, then that's their own problem.

How you spend your time here will most likely determine the extent of achievement from your Penn State experience, but the decision as to what extent is yours alone.

Maybe it's a shame that you will waste four years of intense academic stimulation. Then again, maybe it's a shame that you will waste four years, period.

But college is all about distinguishing opportunity from obligation. No one is forced to be here, just as professors should not force students to take on responsibilities outside of those outlined by the initial course description.

When you enroll each semester, you are essentially saying, "Yes, I'm paying thousands of dollars because I want to learn more." Whether or not you actually do is up to you, not your professor.

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In my column last week, "Commercialization replaces Olympic spirit," I mentioned that "The winter games' population is typically whiter than a Republican convention." Apparently Bryant Gumbel said something similar on his show, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. This was just a coincidence.