To commemorate the end of the semester and the beginning of finals, I thought I would revisit a few glimmering moments I have had with my students for anyone who has ever taken a class, taught a class, or even heard of a class. Trust me, I cannot make this stuff up.

1. “Our final is comprehensive. Does that mean that it covers everything we have read?”

2. “Dr. XYZ is letting us do these really creative dialogues and just footnote our sources instead of doing a research paper like you are making us do. Could I do this for this class too? I mean I am a fiction writer and that would be an assignment where I would actually learn something.“

3. “I know this paper was due in March, and you probably thought I forgot all about it, but I didn’t. Here you go.”

4. “Our final is at 8 a.m. That is just not going to work.”

5. “I know our research paper is due in two days, but I didn’t have time to reread The Great Gatsby, and so I want to change my topic to Shakespeare’s sonnets. I am going to read them this afternoon. Is that okay?”

6. “What is the big deal about The Great Gatsby? I mean, I read two chapters, and it’s not so great.”

7. “I haven’t read this book. This is the one I decided to skip.”

8. “I looked at your comments on my paper, and what is ‘diction’?”

9. “You are the only professor who has ever given me a “B” on a paper. Ever. Are you sure that you read it?”

10. “Our final is two hours long. Does that mean we have to write for the whole time?”

11. “How many pages do you want in our blue books?”

12. “I am training for the Olympics. I will be missing 17 classes. Is that okay?”

13. “I don’t know where I got any of the information that is in this research paper. My roommate got it for me because I just have been so busy.”

14. “I am sorry I am just getting this paper to you now. I ended up going skiing over Spring Break, and then when we were talking about the final, I remembered all about it.”

15. “I have made a ‘C’ on every assignment in this class. Do you think there is any chance that I could make an ‘A’?”

Whenever I hear these things, I have to tell you, I never get too upset. Usually, I just feel like I am having a deja vu moment, because I am. Best of luck on finals!