Any college student knows that the time between taking your final and your final grade being posted is agonizing. Regardless of whether it's 3 hours, a couple days, or over week, it's literally one of the most stressful things about college (I mean, at the moment). Here are the five stages every college student goes through while waiting for their final grades to be posted.
1. Excitement
This is the stage you enter as soon as you finish your final. At this point, you're only concerned with getting out of there and getting coffee/food/ready for your next final. Sure, it'll probably cross your mind, "I hope I pass." But let's be real, as we're power walking (running...) away from the classroom, your final grade is probably not at the very forefront of your mind, at least not for long. You're just pretty excited to have one final down.
2. Curiosity
By this point, it's been a few hours or a day or maybe even two since your final and curiosity has finally hit you. Or perhaps, it hit your parents. Regardless, you want to know your grade. And you think, even if it isn't up yet, it's fine, it's not even been that long. So you log on to check and... it's not there. Well then.
3. Advanced Curiosity
Like darkness and advanced darkness, advanced curiosity is the next step. This occurs when it's been several days to a week since you took the final and your grade still is not there, no matter if you check it every ten minutes or every five. Some people combat this stage by establishing a schedule, such as checking every hour on the hour or every morning and every night. (Spoiler alert: It still won't be up!)
4. Anger
Whether you don't say it or you scream it every time you log off Topnet, if you make it this far without grades being posted, you get angry. You suddenly remember everything you absolutely despised about your professor, even if it was your favorite, nicest professor. They've wronged you. And now, you can't even enjoy your summer because the professor who always said, "This is not a project/paper/assignment you can just do the night before" has decided to wait until the night before grades are due to post them.
5. Redemption
You're logging onto Topnet for the trillionth time, it's midnight, it's been almost a week since your final. You've given up all hope. But... wait... what is that? IT'S A GRADE! Your curiosity is satisfied! Now, it's time to celebrate or think of an excuse for your parents.
WARNING: These stages may not always come in this order. Sometimes, you have a cool professor who posts your grade almost immediately and you get to skip from two to five. Some of us, though, aren't so lucky.
