It’s almost considered a rite of passage of college students. No one should leave as a graduating senior without having enjoyed the stress and sleep deprivation that comes with pulling an all-nighter.
Most all-nighters are born from procrastination or from having a class with a workload so intense it takes hours to complete. Finals week is an especially popular time to stay awake with a textbook open and a coffee within reach.
"One time, it was around 6 a.m., and the fire alarms went off in the library, but no one got up or stopped what they were doing, because it was finals week,” said Caitlyn Zachry, a senior studying journalism who works as an overnight assistant at Alden Library.
Zachry works overnight shifts at the library, the longest stretching from 1-8 a.m., and she said she has seen all manners of strange behavior from students pulling all-nighters.
"Mostly, there’s just an overall sense of desperation,” she said, “like people printing out presentations at 7 a.m. and then running off to class.”
Due to the nature of her job, Zachry said she has mastered the art of pulling all-nighters.
"I pull at least one all-nighter a week,” she said. “I try not to drink coffee except when I’m pulling the long shift, so that the caffeine actually affects me.”
On the other side of the spectrum, there are students who make a point of never pulling all-nighters.
"I’ve never tried to pull an all-nighter academic-wise, because I know if I’m tired when I’m trying to learn something, not having any sleep on top of not knowing would make me do worse,” said Joanna Garber, a junior studying early childhood development. “People somehow think it accomplishes more to stay up late and get their stuff done. For me, I perform better with sleep than without.”
The students who do need to get their work done in the wee hours of the night choose from several options: studying at the library or staying in their dorm room.
There are upsides to both locations. At the library, students can use the computers, scanners, printers and other equipment — but after midnight, they are only allowed on the second floor.
For those who prefer the comfort of home, a dorm room is quiet and comfy, and refreshments are an easy reach away, although these same comforts can make it difficult to stay awake.
Zachry, staying true to her employer, said she chooses Alden as the best place to pull an all-nighter.
"There’s a lot of resources as far as coffee and snacks,” Zachry said. “I think it’s easier to stay awake at the library. Your dorm room can be too comfortable, and it can be hard to stay awake.”
Some of the lucky few who manage to make it all four years without needing to pull an all-nighter say they might subject themselves to the experience just to cross it off their college to-do list.
"It was Spring Quarter of my senior year and I’d never pulled an all-nighter, and I wanted to,” said Rachel Whitman, a senior studying global studies. “I wanted to cross it off my bucket list.”
Having pulled an all-nighter, the only thing students have left to do is make sure they can function the next day.
"In order to function throughout the day, I had to drink a lot of caffeine, and it made me feel really anxious and really wide awake,” Whitman said. “I think all-nighters, if used sparingly, can be OK. But you don’t want to make a habit of it, because it messes with your sleep schedule; it will mess up your internal clock.”
jf392708@ohiou.edu
@ThePostCampus
