we knew that , in the end , there would be no difference between that student who studied eight hours a day for a whole week and scored that 95 % and one of us , who studied maybe a whole hour and got 70 % because , in june , wed all be standing on the same stage receiving identical degrees and there would be no discernable difference between their lovely piece of paper , framed and hung proudly in their home , and our tattered piece of paper , stuffed between stacks of recycling and old books and crammed into the backs of our closets .