Many contend, and with good reason, that your stay at college will be the best years of your life.

This is supposedly the time when everything is carefree, exciting and full of fun.

You’re young, without major bills or debts, exploring different possibilities, taking spring break trips to warm, exotic places, hitting the bars and clubs every weekend, calling your parents for money, bringing your laundry home and living life to the fullest.

The more important objective is college is a place to gain knowledge and prepare for life beyond the textbooks.

The main goal is to acquire the skills needed to work in your desired career field, interact with multiple types of people, complete assignments and do other random tasks related to the job. Yes, you’re bettering yourself personally, but it’s mainly to ensure that you will succeed out in the real world. It’s essentially the steppingstone leading to a paved road of success.

These two concepts seem to mirror the conflicting ideas many young adults grapple with: Am I too old not to act like an immature and happy-go-lucky kid, or am I too young to worry about settling down, focusing on my professional future, and acting like a “real” adult?

I would argue that while we should enjoy ourselves and the many opportunities that are out there, we should begin to prepare for the careers and corporate atmospheres that are to come.

This all leads to a pet peeve that I hold - the manner in which college students conduct themselves primarily in the classroom.

It’s how students unconsciously prop their dusty, busted shoes on the back of chairs that others would like to sit in. It’s how students leave their unwanted newspapers, empty pop or water bottles, and other trash in any location they please, except in the recycle bin or the plain old garbage can.

It’s how students will not only receive phone calls in the middle of class, but also have the nerve to hold a complete conversation.

And it’s how students - oh, this is my favorite - rudely and inconsiderately pack book bags, put on their coats, and proceed to make all the noise in the world when the professor still has five or 10 minutes left in the class.

It’s how we want to be called adults and be treated as such, yet act in a manner even preschoolers know is wrong.

So tell me this: When you’ve finally succeeded in obtaining permanent employment, are you going to kick your Kenneth Cole or Nine West shoes up on the mahogany desk of your office?

Are you going to leave your empty Aquafina bottle and Wall Street Journal on the marble floor of your company’s lounge or lobby?

Are you going to talk to Sam or Ann on your cell phone about tonight’s trip to the bar while important talks or negotiations are going on around you?

And are you going to pack your briefcase, swing your jacket across your shoulder, and impatiently stare and huff at your boss while he closes out a business meeting?

Unless you’re the baddest or most uncaring person in the world, I don’t think so.

At some point in out lives, we need to stop excusing our actions as just “being young” and start to act like we have some kind of sense or at least some ounce of common courtesy.

Yes, these are the “good years,” but that does not justify the immature behavior we sometimes exhibit.

Being courteous and respectful has nothing to do with a person’s age or trying to act like an adult. It’s about being a sensible human being. It’s about being mindful that certain kinds of behavior need to stay in certain places.

You want to kick your feet up on the furniture and leave your trash all over the floor?

Fine, do it at home. But I hope that you were raised better than to act that way in public.

So you can take these words as you will, but think about this: actions are a reflection of habit.

Remember that when your boss kicks you, your shoes, your cell phone, your briefcase, your newspaper, your huffs, your puffs and all your other stuff out the company’s front door.

Tameria Warren is an environental studies applications senior. She can be reached at warrent3@msu.edu.