So this is probably my fourth time staging the study all-nighter. First year I was notorious for them; a assignment due the next day but you'd been too scared to complete it? pull an all-nighter. Been out way too much and you finally realise that you have to do some reading before the lecture tomorrow? pull an all-nighter. Way too much on for you to handle; you just started working and before you know it it's midnight but you can't prepare yourself to stop? pull an all-nighter. Simple.
So it's not good for you to not sleep for a day but this is university, you're not supposed to drink excessively but we do it anyway. Everything in moderation, I say.
At the moment, it's 7.46am on Wednesday morning and I've been up since 10.30am Tuesday morning. I have a 500 word literature review on economic impacts and a 2000 word essay on Entrepreneurial Development. I've finished the ED essay (however it's 3000 words) but I'm struggling very muchly on the literature review.
My all-nighter has consisted of 40minute study time and the occasional 10minute spider solitaire break. I've watched both the brand new Glee's and have been trolling through YouTube looking for anything to keep me up. As well as eating a hell of a load of chocolate bourbons; I'm surprisingly, on my second cup of coffee, stolen some Sugar Puff cereal in a mug and gone through three packets of tissues. Oh, plus the odd posts on Facebook - about absolutely nothing at 3am in the morning, then again 40minutes later thinking it's been about an hour since I last posted.
However (this is the good part), I've been to university, had a thorough talk about placements, emailed people about placements, looked at placements and part time jobs, emailed people about the fundraiser I'm organising, seen my friend do a open-mic set and do most of my review and essay.
See! Useful! All in a actual full days work.
So here are the tips I've stuck with on pulling an study all-nighter:
1. Do work. Your supposed to be studying, don't end up downloading movies and watching crap TV (even if I watched two new Glee's - I had been working really hard before that)
2. Comfy? Make sure you're comfortable. Nothing's worse than being up all night, done all that work and you've been in the most uncomfortable position that you can hardly stand... Talk about nightmare.
3. Coffee. Caffeine. Sugar. You're gonna need it. I've heard a disgusting recipe today for Red-Bull and Berrocca, can you imagine..? Pro Plus can help, so can coffee, Red Bull, Monster, Relentless.. and water helps too!
4. Time yourself. Saying you're going to study consistently for the whole night is unlikely and stupid. Give yourself a break.
5. Again, Sugar. I always think something sweet (like chocolate) gets me through the night..
6. Stretch. Stiff neck, stretch; aching back, stretch; cramping fingers, stretch.
7. Tiredness. There will be a bit where you think "Forget this, I can't stand it anymore, I need sleep." Push through, get up and walk about for a bit, drink some more coffee. Remember that this is all about getting the work done, you can sleep when you've finished it.
8. Water. Definitely have water by your side.
9. MUSIC! click through YouTube like never before, find music on your computer that you completely forgot about so you can head-bang/ mime/ sing along. Anything to keep you upbeat and lively.
10. Mood swings. You've been up all night what did you expect?
11. Reward yourself. By what else? sleep.
Really, you even considering or completing an study all-nighter means you're not very good with your time management so in actual fact, you should be ignoring this post... because you've already completed all your work right?.. RIGHT?!
Don't worry, I won't tell if you won't.
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