A majority of us come from education systems where sometimes apple-polishing works or so we have seen happening in our environments. This comic portrays the perils of not studying. Just relying on puppy-dog behaviour with a teacher is not equivalent to hard work and learning from the teacher and the subject. Especially as master’s students, time is of utmost importance and to waste a whole semester not studying will only put us behind our peers.
It is good to be respectful towards teachers, ask good questions and be nice in general. But that is not what you would be examined on when the semester concludes. So it is best to focus on the curriculum being taught, finishing assignments on time and learning in an ethical manner. It is your knowledge and skills that will be useful in the real world when you step out of university.