Somehow, unbelievably, she scraped by with a 74. A hair's breadth above failure—just enough to dodge academic probation. But that grade carried the unmistakable stench of near-disaster, broadcasting that she was a "second-semester overreach." She recalled the sympathetic glances from older students who'd heard rumors of her meltdown during finals. Even her own roommate had tiptoed around her, offering tea laced with mild calming wards.