Imagine a scenario in which one drunkenly addresses their professor as a peer while asking for an extended due date, employing profanity and informal slang as agents of persuasion in their plea. Now, I implore the reader to formulate their own conclusion on the result of that plea. It is more than likely that the student will not be receiving any credit for the aforementioned assignment. Once again, I implore the reader to imagine how the outcome may have differed if the student in question addressed their professor in a respectful and professional tone. The result may have drastically changed. Now assume that the assignment from that imaginary scenario is a senior thesis paper. Considering the considerable impact of most thesis papers on GPA, an abysmal mark on one may not be ideal when it is factored in amongst the reduced number of classes most seniors take their final semester. If the student in question was previously teetering around a 3.5 GPA, the opportunity to graduate with honors may slip away. Posing a hypothetical, assume our student has not secured a post-graduation job, but rather has landed an interview with a very important company. Our student has made good use of their time in a prestigious program, making connections and suavely maneuvering the social network of elitist culture, manipulating it to their will. However, it would be erroneous to assume that our student is the only one in that same program, with the same skills, methodically networking. Walking into their interview, they spot a classmate waiting in the same lobby. The two begin to converse and learn they are interviewing for the same position, so both agree to quiz each other as mock interviewers to pass time. Instantly the tension and anxiety melt away, and each feels more comfortable in the presence of a friend. The wait continues, and time is spent reminiscing and enjoying each other’s company. All of a sudden, the door opens and a nervous millennial flees. The shadow of an imposing businessperson approaches, and steps into the light. Our student’s friend from school is called in. “Good luck, you got this!” our student exclaims to their peer. As they turn around to say “Thank you!”, their resume slips out of its folder. Our student good-heartedly offers assistance in cleaning up, and picks up the first page they see. They reach down and flip it over, preparing to hand it back. Curiously handling the paper, they decide to sneakily take a quick glance at their classmate’s work, only to discover the “3.6 GPA (Graduated Cum Laude)” inscribed on the sheet. Their heart drops. And all of a sudden, their mind flashes back to the drunken email.

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