When I was in high school, the all-nighter was something of a myth. I knew people who had pulled them off, and I also knew they were “popular” among college students. In August of my freshman year, the latest I had ever stayed up was about 3 a.m., and I ended up skipping school the next day. However, it seems if I have a major test to study for here at MSU or a big paper to write, I do not start on it until about 9 or 10 p.m. This means I am often up until 5 a.m. or later many nights. Now, most of us know exam weeks in December and April are filled with all-nighters; it’s almost inevitable. However, why is it acceptable to us to stay up until the wee hours just to finish the latest batch of O.W.L.S. posted by the chemistry teacher or knock out a quick outline for the speech we have to give the next day?
In my case, it comes down to poor planning and procrastination. If something isn’t due in a day or less, I probably won’t work on it. The few exceptions are huge papers and calculus and chemistry homework. It’s just so easy to go toss a frisbee around or watch the latest episode of “24” rather than be ahead on my work. So, when the time does come to get it done, I’m popping open an energy drink and popping in my headphones in the Building 3 study room, ready for another late night. However, even then I’m still not completely focused because my Facebook bookmark tab is always staring me in the face whenever I open up my Internet browser, and I’m also bound to hit the stumble button several times before the night’s over.
There are obvious disadvantages to this habit, such as the possibility I won’t get all of my work done or the fact that I’m constantly tired. In fact, over last semester and this semester, the amount of lost sleep I get every week directly factors into the amount of classes I skip. Plus, staying up all night makes me almost useless the next day, and therefore I, yet again, do not get much work done. There is also that unwanted feeling following me around all day of constantly wanting to pass out on the nearest flat surface for several hours. After an all-nighter, I’m pretty much useless the next day and require about 12 hours of sleep to catch up on the sleep I’ve lost.
While the disadvantages are obvious, the advantages are less so. However, there are some, such as being able to see the sun rise without having to drag myself out of bed. I will admit, the early mornings are far easier to deal with if you have not gone to bed because you will not have to get up to face them. You can get a lot done between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. if you focus the entire night. For a lot of college students all-nighters require taking a study drug, such as Adderall, to stay awake all night without losing focus. The only substances I use to stay awake at night are energy drinks and gum.
So are we simply bigger procrastinators now than we were in high school? Or is the work load on us too much? I cannot answer the question for all of us, and to do it for yourself, you will have to take close look at your daily activities. When I get out of class at 3 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, or at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I should go to the library or straight to my desk in Building 3 to start on the latest O.W.L. assignment, but I do not. Instead, I can be found on the Griffis courtyard playing ultimate frisbee or in a friend’s room somewhere on campus. There is also the possibility that I will be found back in my room firing up the Xbox 360 to play Halo 3. Whatever it is that I am doing instead of homework or studying, I know in my mind that in eight hours, I will be paying the price for it. The sound of opening my Monster energy drink and the chilled out music coming from my Pandora radio station are sure signs that I’m in for quite a night.
Ben Leiker is a freshman majoring in biological engineering. He can be contacted at [email protected].