One of the first things we learn growing up is that we should respect one another. Just look at the so-called Golden Rule, which we all likely learned as early as kindergarten. Yet, years later, as I look around my classes, it seems like many college students have lost their understanding of this very basic concept.

I’m consistently struck by how blatantly students disrespect their professors.

Take unnecessary phone and computer usage in class, for instance. In most of my lectures, looking around at any given time, you’ll see a majority of the class’s eyes glued to their computers, working on assignments for other classes or doing something completely irrelevant like online shopping.

What’s the point of scrolling through Instagram or playing sudoku in the middle of a class that your tuition is paying for? At that point, just stay home.

I can’t say that I’m not guilty of it too every once and a while. It’s human to get bored sometimes, especially in a 75-minute class where the professor does nothing more than read slides, but to ignore the lecturer every class is simply disrespectful.

Another sign of disrespect I see in almost every class is how, as soon as professors begin to wrap up their lectures, students inevitably begin closing their computers, putting away notebooks and even standing up to run out of the room as soon as they can. Not only is it distracting to students trying to pay attention, but it’s also just rude.

How much time are you really going to save by loudly packing your belongings while the professor is still talking, likely discussing important information? Even if the professor is saying something as simple as “have a nice weekend,” have we not learned that it’s common courtesy to listen when someone speaks? These are basic manners, and as college students, I would hope we’ve learned them by now.

On the flip side, if professors expect common courtesy from their students, they should act respectfully too.

I understand that many professors have hundreds of students and what may seem like endless assignments to grade, but there comes a point when the lack of timeliness gets frustrating.

For instance, it’s more than a month into the semester, and I’ve had at least eight assignments due in one of my 400-level classes. Not a single one has been graded yet. How can I know if I’m doing the assignments correctly if I haven’t gotten any feedback?

Similarly, the lack of communication from professors is another gripe that I’m sure I share with many of my fellow students. I know professors get flooded with emails, but if I’m politely asking a question, it’s the professor’s responsibility to respond. It’s a part of their job, and an essential one, at that.

Unfortunately, over the course of my college experience, far too many of my emails have gotten lost in the void, never to receive a response and leaving me with unanswered questions.

In addition to this lack of consideration, many professors seem to fail to understand that we are adults and should be treated this way.

Last semester — as a junior — my class was sent out on a Sesame Street-themed scavenger hunt in the library. Don’t get me wrong, Elmo, Big Bird and Cookie Monster were fun characters from my childhood, but the show’s target audience is preschoolers. I think it’s safe to say that, as NC State students, we have all moved past our Sesame Street phases.

Similarly, in one of my classes this semester, I made a diorama out of a shoebox, cardstock and Elmer’s glue. We spent three entire class periods doing this. Now, to a fifth grader, these might seem like enticing classroom activities, but as a 20-year-old student, I can’t say I learned anything important. If anything, it just made me question how serious college really is.

Professors, treating students like children is not going to prepare us for life after college.

As college students, we shouldn’t have to be babied into everything. We had all of elementary, middle and high school for that, and now that many of us are away from home and on our own, it’s time to face the real world.

However, I acknowledge that in order for this to happen, we — as students — must act like adults. Respect truly is a two-way street, and it’s time we reform the professor-student relationship. Show your professor some respect, and more likely than not, they’ll give it back to you.