College is a strange place, when you think about it. When we first arrive here we are told that Brandeis will teach us, nurture our strengths, help us plan our futures, etc. by providing us with an authentic "college experience." When I arrived here, I felt that I wasn't just attending a university-I was coming to a place that would help me transition into adulthood.But then I am reminded, every time and as soon as I log on to sage, of my "current balance," "finances," "outstanding charges"-here are the buzzwords that shatter my delusions of grandeur. Brandeis is fundamentally a business, and I am a consumer. These words are indicators of the very real and tangible transaction of funds that allows me to be here.

For example, I can do the math and know that every Spanish class I attend (or occasionally-and now very guiltily-miss) costs my parents around $250. Maybe I should consider the value of that $250. Of course, my tuition pays my professors to teach me and helps maintain the buildings where I do my learning. But there are countless other factors that go into the division of funds. Tuition is allocated to help pay for administrative salaries and student activities, among other things. So, in theory, only a percentage of that $250 may actually go to my Spanish professor. The University will use much of it to enhance and enrich student life.

So what exactly is my relationship to this place? Is this my new community, or is it just the place where I live and attend classes in return for a hefty check? Let's look at the question from a different angle. What am I doing exactly when I cheer for the Judges at their basketball game? Am I rooting for the "University" as an abstract, mystical entity that holds my allegiance? Or am I merely expressing my approval of this particular form of entertainment that Brandeis has provided for me-sponsored, in part I'm sure, by a sizable slice of my tuition-as a distraction from my workload?

The answer is more muddled than either of these two options. Brandeis is first and foremost a school that students pay to attend. In a way, we are like customers buying a product. Our role in the relationship is somewhat clear in this sense. The identity of the product is more complicated. One way to think of it is this: we pay for the classes, but to give us our money's worth, the University provides all these extra services. This is what sets Brandeis apart from other universities of lesser quality. The extra services are the features that will attract applicants and maintain a high quality of life here. I tend to think of them as the college equivalent of those freshly baked cookies that some hotels give you at check-in-little personal touches that enhance the experience and ensure that the customer will return in the future.

Students are even more of a monetary investment to the University in this sense. If Brandeis does a good job preparing me for my future career, chances are I'll eventually become successful enough to give back to the school through alumni donations.

For sure, this is a cold, capitalistic way of understanding the University. We pay, we learn and we leave with a brand-name diploma. But I don't think this outlook on the college experience necessarily has to be so bleak. We can remain sentimental, or we can begin to think of Brandeis as a resource waiting to be tapped and, with that knowledge, make a conscious decision to take advantage of our time here. It turns out there is way more to take away from this campus than what one could get out of a successful round of "Sherman shopping."

So how do you pillage and plunder your way through all Brandeis has to offer? Follow these simple steps!

1) Take advantage of TAs. They are there to help you. Think of them as private tutors who would charge you for their time if someone wasn't already paying their salaries (ignore the fact that, in a way, you already are paying them through tuition).

2) Use the gym. A gym membership at home would cost me about $70 a month, so why not make use of the Brandeis gyms while I'm here?

3) Take advantage of the accessibility of religious services held on campus. Brandeis is the ideal place to be for this. You never know when or where in your lifetime you will next have the opportunity to explore spirituality in an open forum, free of charge. Or schedule a one-on-one with one of the chaplains and learn a little more about your own religion.

4) Make an appointment at the Hiatt Carreer Center and brainstorm potential career options, and if you find yourself in trouble, do not hesitate to visit the Counseling Center and use one of your 12 free sessions per semester.

5) Go to the free or discounted concerts, plays and other events on campus. You may as well get yourself a little more cultured while you're here.

6) We're right outside Boston, possibly the greatest resource available to us. And we've even got free shuttles running there all weekend. Check it out sometime.

My overall suggestion is to experiment with this new mindset. There are tons of "freebies" sitting on campus waiting to be snatched up. The most amazing realization, you might discover, is that you are entitled to all of this. You are a paying customer, after all.