I’m traveling from Seattle to Chicago today just to take one 3-hour class. I really admire the instructor and his company, and I don’t have any reservations about spending two days of travel—and all the associated costs—for only 180 minutes of class time.

But as certain as I am about my choice to attend, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I can do to make sure it’s time well spent. What am I most excited to learn about? If I can ask one question, what will it be? How will I commit to actually using what I take away? It’s the instructor’s responsibility to deliver a good course. But he’s not responsible for my effort and attitude. That’s my job as the student.

I don’t recall ever approaching a course this way while I was in high school or college. And I wonder how much better my experience would have been if I had.

If you’re lucky enough to find a course or instructor that lights you up intellectually, you’ll be compelled to do whatever it takes to get the most out of it. But what if you didn’t reserve that effort for those special circumstances?

You may not be flying across the country just to take one class. But what if you treated every course as if you were? From AP calculus to driver’s ed, you’re spending time to be there. Why not do whatever you can to make it worth the expense?

The quality of your teachers and courses may vary. But your quality as a student can be a constant if you want it to be.