I’m afraid this one doesn’t quite hit the mark for me.
This close to the end of the term, stress levels are sky high, but I always manage to avoid blowing up at the students, so politeness is a flat line.
This is Minnesota, so the students also maintain their equanimity pretty well, but I can see a few gritted teeth and beads of sweat out there as they struggle to retain the required Minnesota Nice. I imagine they have some angry words erupting back in the dorms and on phone calls to their parents.
Next week: last week of classes! Finals the week after that! Then sweet freedom for all until late January.
Just in my experience as a student, I loathed the inevitable “will this be on the final” question.