I wasn't big on sleep for a long time. As a kid, I was one of those who would go to any length of theatrics or bargaining in the vain hope of avoiding it. By high school, I'd reconciled myself to the fact that it was biologically necessary; I was asleep by twelve and awake by six for school because I had no other choice. But college is the big leagues of sleep. As a novice going in, here's what I've learned so far:

1. It comes at a price.

When sleep takes precedence, it takes it directly from other activities. But we all know it’s worthwhile, even for a dozen extra minutes, so judgement is suspended. You negotiate your sacrifices and cut your losses.

2. No takebacks.

Intellectually, it registers that this has always been true, but 3 a.m. on a weekday is the only time you're really confronted with the reality that you shouldn't have stayed up until 3 a.m. on a weekday. By then it’s too late, and all you can do is wish for what could have been. Sleep lost is sleep lost forever, sadly.

3. You never know what you’ve got until it's gone.

Once 8 hours becomes a habit, breaking the streak with a 3-hour night feels really doable because it’s only like half of how much you ordinarily sleep, and it’s only for one night. But it’s also only half of how much you ordinarily sleep, and the day after it feels like a horrible mistake instead of a blip in your sleep schedule.

4. Tolerance is key.

I once considered myself a light sleeper, but I've evolved. Not only can I now sleep through bumps in the night but also alarms. I can fall asleep with the lights on or with the sun shining on my face through the blinds. The sound of sanitation workers emptying the dumpsters outside my window only wakes me if the window is open, now.

5. It’s never enough.

You may think, after a particularly restful night, that it’s impossible for you to be sleepy the next morning, but you will find that it is never impossible for you to be sleepy. Hours slept, like age, is apparently just a number; true tiredness comes from within.

6. Power nap is an oxymoron.

Naps shorter than an hour or two are mockeries of sleep. Ten minutes of dozing between classes is not refreshing--it’s a prolonged blink.

7. Someone is always awake.

At the most unreasonable possible hour, the door will be noisily unlocked, and a laughing stampede will make its way down the hall. Someone will inevitably take a shower. Someone will text the group message. Someone will turn on loud music or watch a new episode on Netflix. Be patient; at some point it will be you.

8. Someone is always asleep.

At the most unreasonable possible hour, someone who is meant to be awake, and probably in class, will still be in bed. You will call friends to make lunch plans, and you will hear them answer the phone half-unconscious. Just don't let them miss anything good, and they'll return the favor.