well. there's not much better than getting back a midterm with a perfect score and the comment "superlatives fail me!"

especially when you adore the class but thought maybe you hadn't done that well.

actually, here's what's better:
when all your classes seem tied to each other in some inexplicably complicated way, full of strange resonances and stunning interconnections. the place of women in hinduism and the cultural ban on intercaste marriage means that highcaste hindus are genetically related to europeans more than the lower castes, and the language of the brahmins is derived from greek; pythagoras believed in vegetarianism and rebirth. my literature professor gave a guest lecture in my science and religion class, which discussed today the lecture i went to about babylonian creation stories and genesis. we compare buddhism with nihilism; i explain the premise of my research paper, and jason quotes durkheim in support. my synapses have been getting an unaccustomed workout, and it is this, these sudden realizations that give a glimpse of the greater fabric, the brilliant moment of revelation and connection, this is what convinces me that school is worthwhile, that, really, life is worthwhile.

acing a midterm is ancillary at best.