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FINALS GUIDE
SLEEP
Students pull all-nighters to get assignments done
BY DANIEL HEADY dheady@kansan.com
Many students turn to energy drinks and other caffeine-laden beverages to stay awake, but studies show that all-nighters might not be helpful in the long run.
It's not even sunrise yet — in fact, it's 4 a.m., but in Anschutz Library, students are awake, diligently reading, writing and cramming for tests.
Jenny Terrell/KANSAN
For Ali Muckey, Overland Park sophomore, spending the night in the library is almost a weekly occurrence.
"Generally I have to do all-nighters because I procrastinate, and it's unfortunate because most of my major papers and tests are normally all on one day," Muckey said. "For me, a lack of sleep is not the end of the world. As long as all of my work gets done, I can deal with it."
Many college students choose to pull all-nighters, staying up late in libraries across campus. Especially toward the end of the semester, when students have many tests, projects and papers in short order, an all-nighter often feels like the best option to get everything done.
"At the end of the semester it seems like teachers pile it on and sometimes there is no time for sleep no matter how organized and efficient you are," Katie Kudlacz, Chicago freshman, said. "When you have two tests and a paper due the next day, sleep gets sacrificed."
Kudlacz said she saw all-nighters as a way to
maximize the college experience.
"An all-nighter develops for me when procrastination is combined with outside influences to go do something else, and when added assignments take longer than expected," Kudlacz said. "There is so much more to college than just school, and sometimes sleep can wait."
Ways of pulling an all-nighter varies with each individual, but methods generally include aids such as energy drinks, coffee and music to help focus and stay awake.
"The first thing I do when preparing for an all-nighter is I have to pick where I am going to study, either at home or Anschutz. Then I make a to-do list, and I prioritize how I want to complete assignments or study." Muckey said.
But once you've picked the location, you still need a way to stay awake.
"I find music that keeps me awake and focused," Kudlacz said. "Also, energy drinks and coffee are good, but one of the most important things is staying hydrated."
An April 2005 Men's Fitness magazine article recommends eating a light meal before pulling an all-nighter, as well as chewing gum to stimulate brain synapses, and lowering the temperature of the room you are studying in to prevent drowsiness.
The willingness to learn the information, and whether or not students feel it is useful and important to their academic career, also factors in to the decision to stay up all night.
"Normally with my core classes for my major
I study and don't pull all-nighters, but when it comes to pre-reqs that I don't really care about, I will cram and then forget the information right after the test," Kudlacz said.
MAY 11,2009
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS