Slack in the Box

This week I have a midterm paper due for one of my classes so I assume that other people have midterm assignments to do as well. I base this off of the amount of studious students slaving at their laptops and scribbling notes in notebooks. The air in Corbett is thick and quiet and every student's laptop is creating a melodic buzzing that can only be heard if you listen. None of these students are physically dolled up as I have seen before, rather, they are just the opposite. Most everyone looks deprived, pushing a deadline and finishing just on time or at least trying their best to. The dark smell of black coffee once again fills the room overpowering the smell of musty sweatshirts. Hair is a mess and pushed into pony tales and in a fashion that makes them look like they haven't showered in some time. Everyone looks evidently stressed and you can tell that they are upset with themselves for putting off their work for the last minute by the way that they sigh and groan and neglect their cellphones.
Among everyone slaving on their computers there are a few that seem to be leeching from the routers but even they are not dressed to impress. I am one of these people along with one of my friends, pushing out a term paper full of fact checking and reference making. Each time I look up I see someone leaving in a hurry or more people joining the ranks, averaging out the amount of zombies that take up the space. Interesting enough, Einstein's is closed and still the aroma of coffee only gets stronger, its as if there are people smuggling in hot pots in their backpacks because none of the people who have left ever come back.
There are also people that appear to be working in groups almost stereo typically. There are a few that look like they are in the zone and putting in their best effort without much conversation with the ones around them while some converse and type and others do nothing at all. One such group has made a large poster, the art students in the group are making it pretty while others are typing away and going back and forth to the printer and still there are two who linger. I am glad that I have not been forced to do many assignments in groups because I am always one of the ones that is trying to do all of the work for everyone else in fear of my grade, you can see it in their faces, they are determined while the lingerers are content with anything else that the others are willing to do. In these groups I have noticed however, that there is no one leader in most cases but people just doing things with little to no communication, they will show what they have done after they have already done it and despite opinion, it is too late to change it. And still the lingerers of the group smile and nod and play on their phones or listen to their music, looking in the other direction or talking to each other about irrelevant topics. Its a shame that they will make the same grade as everyone else there regardless of the amount of effort or participation.