How do an “all-nighter”
A particular atmosphere exists in the computer labs at uni the night before something big is due – whether it’s for one particularly hard paper or (especially) the last week or two of term. You can feel the frantic desperation all over campus: Many people thinking, “Why oh why did I leave this to the last minute?! Argh I have so much to do!”
The lines of people waiting for computers in the computer labs increase. Every second that ticks by reminding everyone of their growing workloads and wasted time, waiting to get to a computer. The bone-wrenching tiredness. The sigh of despair that echoes around the room at 3am. And again, when someone leaves at 4am, followed by extra-furious typing on the part of everyone else. At double intensity, when the birds start waking up at 5 or 6am.
Still desperate enough to want to do this? You will need:
- Lots of caffeine (either coffee or a caffeinated energy drink)
- Vast amounts of snack foods such as chocolate or nuts
- The motivation of a deadline the following day (or, why are you doing this?)
- Warm clothing for the 2-6am period
Try to have a full dinner beforehand. Always have lots of snack food such as nuts, as being tired makes you really hungry! (It’s acceptable to go to the supermarket at 9pm that night to buy it.) You’ll not only be using up lots of energy to think with, but getting up all the time to prepare food is time-consuming and distracting. Eating high energy junk foods can also help you to stay awake, though be careful not to overload your blood-sugar levels leading to a heavier crash and even more tiredness.
Similarly, more than 4 cups of coffee / energy drink over the course of a night won’t do you any good. Drugs and alcohol can affect your thinking and make it harder to write good work. Not recommended.
Many things can be done in the time between 1am and 6 am - it lasts an eternity but the next two hours between 6 and 8am go very fast. (Thanks to Ida for this one)
Remember: you shouldn’t do every assignment like this. It’s not healthy. Also, not sleeping beyond three days could kill you. If you are constantly in this state of panic, then maybe you need to rethink your lifestyle and start a few days or weeks earlier. Remember, the last two weeks of term are always going to be flat-out, so try and prepare if possible. Even if it’s just getting extra rest.
Good luck!
The lines of people waiting for computers in the computer labs increase. Every second that ticks by reminding everyone of their growing workloads and wasted time, waiting to get to a computer. The bone-wrenching tiredness. The sigh of despair that echoes around the room at 3am. And again, when someone leaves at 4am, followed by extra-furious typing on the part of everyone else. At double intensity, when the birds start waking up at 5 or 6am.
Still desperate enough to want to do this? You will need:
- Lots of caffeine (either coffee or a caffeinated energy drink)
- Vast amounts of snack foods such as chocolate or nuts
- The motivation of a deadline the following day (or, why are you doing this?)
- Warm clothing for the 2-6am period
Try to have a full dinner beforehand. Always have lots of snack food such as nuts, as being tired makes you really hungry! (It’s acceptable to go to the supermarket at 9pm that night to buy it.) You’ll not only be using up lots of energy to think with, but getting up all the time to prepare food is time-consuming and distracting. Eating high energy junk foods can also help you to stay awake, though be careful not to overload your blood-sugar levels leading to a heavier crash and even more tiredness.
Similarly, more than 4 cups of coffee / energy drink over the course of a night won’t do you any good. Drugs and alcohol can affect your thinking and make it harder to write good work. Not recommended.
Many things can be done in the time between 1am and 6 am - it lasts an eternity but the next two hours between 6 and 8am go very fast. (Thanks to Ida for this one)
Remember: you shouldn’t do every assignment like this. It’s not healthy. Also, not sleeping beyond three days could kill you. If you are constantly in this state of panic, then maybe you need to rethink your lifestyle and start a few days or weeks earlier. Remember, the last two weeks of term are always going to be flat-out, so try and prepare if possible. Even if it’s just getting extra rest.
Good luck!
Labels: assignments, students
posted by Tina | 1:44 PM
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2 Comments
