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THE PLASTIC AGE
111

ioor, left the gymnasium—and five hours later the ollege.

Thus the college for ten days: the better students loderately calm, the others cramming information ito aching heads, drinking unbelievable quantities f coffee, sitting up, many of them, all night, attendig seminars or tutoring sessions, working for long ours in the library, finally taking the examination, nly to start a new nerve-racking grind in preparaon for the next one.

If a student failed in a course, he received a “flunk otice” from the registrar’s office within four days fter the examination, so that four days after the ast examination every student knew whether he ad passed his courses or not. All those who ailed to pass three courses were, as the students ut it, “flunked out,” or as the registrar put it, their connection with the college was severed.” ome of the flunkees took the news very casually, acked their trunks, sold their furniture, and dearted; others frankly wept or hastened to their istructors to plead vainly that their grades be aised: all of them were required to leave Haydensille at once.

Hugh passed all of his courses but without disnction. His B in trigonometry did not give him reat satisfaction inasmuch as he had received an l in exactly the same course in high school; nor was he particularly proud of his B in English, since