The educational status of the group, in the books, at this point of the story is they have all graduated from Brakebills. This is signified by their recieving of the Cacodemon tattoo on their backs, again, in the book. Not all in the TV show have been given the tattoo, unlike the book.

knicked. as in knicked a balloon and all the air went out. I imagine the writers view the shade as ethereal and that it would flow out of a knick to its vessel/container…

a ziplock bag will easily keep condensation out…..

while blowing would work sometimes, it did so only because saliva conducts electrical signals just as well as water. We found a more sanitary way to get these stubborn games working; placing the cartridge in a ziplock bag, then in the refridgerator. Almost always worked without the germs….