CHAPEL HILL, NC–Greeting her housemates after a Sunday of paper-writing, junior political science major Rebecca Forester took an opportunity to list her many stresses.

“Guys, I have to go work on this paper,” began Forester, standing with one strap of her book bag on her shoulder as if about to continue to her room. “I’ve been at the library working on it, but I basically got nothing done. I have so much to do tonight.”

Many of those present sympathized with Forester. “Dude that sucks,” remarked Alex Wright before turning back to the UNC basketball game on television.

“Yeah, this paper is huge and there are like only three graded assignments for the class. I have no idea what the professor expects,” continued Forester as she put her backpack down and sat in a chair beside Calber. “Who are we playing?”

“UAB, and we’re down four,” Calber replied without looking away from the TV. “Want a beer?”

“I don’t know, I have 3 papers due in the next few days,” said Forester, “I really have to bang this thing out tonight. But I guess I’ll have one. Down four to UAB, what the fuck?”

Forrester watched the game in silence for the next 5 minutes before going to the bathroom.

“Fuck,” she said as she returned to the living room and sat back down beside Calber, “I have so much work. I have those 3 papers due this week. And I have this group project, but everyone in my group is a complete idiot slacker, so I’ll have to do that. Then I have a memo due for that public policy class, which is just gonna be annoying to write. Then I have four finals in two days. And I have to go talk to my Mom about my rent situation and then pay for that parking ticket I got the other day.”

“You have 3 papers due this week?” asked Calber.

“Well, one of them is this long one I’m about to go write,” Forester replied, “and then the other two are, like, one-page responses to this book that we have been reading all semester.”

“I can’t believe we lost,” she said as she finished her second beer.