'Twas the week before finals

(With apologies to Clement Clarke Moore.)

'Tis the week before finals and all through the place
many fingers are hitting the keys at a pace
most outrageous. Students write fancy stuff:
final projects and papers (occasional fluff)
that they'll tuck into dropboxes, folders, and files
until all is complete--but a few, oozing guile,
will craft their excuses and beg for the gift
of a few extra days or some work that will lift
their gpa high as the rooftops so Dad
and Mom won't regret the tuition. Egad!
Students finish one paper and start on the next,
gulp an energy drink, crack open a text,
study flash-cards and notes and proceed, in a panic,
to Google the terms that elude them, a frantic
excursion through Quizlet, a quick romp through Shmoop.
Careering through campus to meet with a group
of classmates whose brains are as frazzled as theirs,
they study together 'til everyone shares
the same misconceptions, the same muddled facts,
all scribbled and scrambled. No time to relax!
Time to dot all the i's and cross t's to a T
and then hit submit--but wait, what can this be?
The writing is done but they can't raise a cheer
because what to their wondering eyes should appear
but a glitch in the system! The dropbox won't work!
The deadline is looming! They turn with a jerk,
click again on the keyboard and hope that their file
has not disappeared, resubmit with a smile--
at last it's complete! But there's no time for fun:
more papers and projects still need to be done! 
Students busy as elves whip their brains into flight:
So many assignments! They'll be working all night!
On papers! On projects! On essay exams!
They're hoping to write themselves out of a jam,
then show up for exams with their nerves all a-jitter;
through the multiple choices they'll make their pens flitter
as caffeine goes coursing through sleep-deprived veins
while visions of A-pluses dance in their brains.
And their professors cheer for the progress they've made:
Happy finals to all, and to all a good grade!