A few nights ago, I was studying for an exam I had the next day. As it neared 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., I realized I was in too deep and the only way to pass this final was to do the dreadful: pull an all-nighter. The entire night actually became quite productive, as well as adventurous, especially entering the deep hours of the night. Here are a few things I learned from my experiences with all-nighters, and how to have a successful all-nighter.
1. Before deciding you are going to pull an all-nighter, make sure you have time the next day to sleep.
After taking your exam or turning in your paper, you're going to be exhausted, and you'll need that sleep. If you know you don't have time to sleep the next day, then you might want to reconsider!
2. All-nighters work best when someone is with you.
You will be less tempted to want to give up and go to sleep when someone else is also there staying up all night. It really helps if they are from your class and you're studying for the same exam so you can study and complain together. If you don't have anyone, then that's OK. You can still do this!
3. Come prepared and with a plan.
Make sure you bring all your materials that you need for class, as well as any flashcards or highlighters and fun pens you might want to use. Also, make sure you have a plan of how you're going to study. Whether it's taking notes, rereading chapters or making flashcards, know exactly what your plan is so you can stay focused and have the most productive night.
4. Bring plenty of water and snacks.
Staying hydrated is probably the most important part of the night. Not only does it force you to get up and pee often which keeps you awake, but it's also good to balance it out if you're drinking caffeine. Pack lots of snacks, but not candy. Think pretzels, nuts, popcorn and fruit.
5. Drink coffee and tea, not energy drinks.
Although Red Bull and Monster gives you energy, they are filled with sugar and will likely cause you to crash. Coffee and tea have less sugar and will give you sustained energy.
6. Take frequent active breaks.
Get up and do some jumping jacks, play a game of catch, whatever it is to keep your blood pumping.
7. Review, review, review.
Take a break then review what you just studied. Studies have shown that all-nighters don't really help your long-term memory. So try and do your best to review as much material as you can.
8. Be prepared to get weird.
So 4 a.m. is going to provoke some weird conversations. Get ready to see a side of your friends you may have never seen.
9. Destroy your test.
Put all that hard work to use and make that test yours.
10. Get some sleep after your test.
You earned it!
