I was having a typical weekday night on my college’s small, overcrowded campus. Murmuring students had driven me from the library. I had retreated to my dorm room, a sanctuary of books and half-eaten pizza. I sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by textbooks and notepads. My hair was pulled into a messy bun, and my glasses were sliding down my nose as I squinted at the equations before me.

My study buddy, David, lounged on my bed with his own stack of books beside him.

We had been friends since freshman year, our paths crossing in a dull calculus class we both hoped would be the last time we’d ever have to think about integrals. Over the last few semesters, our weekly study sessions had morphed into a ritual, a time to commiserate over the trials of college life and share the occasional laugh... Read More