We have all had it sometimes, you need to hand in that one assignment at 9 o’clock the next morning. But you just didn’t have the time to do it during the day, due to school, work and poor time management skills. So, what do we do? We get ourselves a cup of coffee, grab a blanket, put on some nice music and spend the night working on our assignment. And, as the self-claimed CEO of all-nighters, I’ve had my decent share of them during my student life. Hell, I am even doing it right now, while working on this article.

So, what is an all-nighter?

According to the Urban dictionary an “All-nighter”, is: Staying awake, usually with the aid of caffeine and cold showers, for over 24 hours. Usually, a feat performed by overworked students and other individuals who refuse to sleep until having solved some mystery.

We have given it different definitions over the years, skipping sleep by working or learning for school during the night, because we didn’t have time during the day. Or should I say, we did have time, but due to our lack of planning skills we don’t have any time left. Trying to balance homework, jobs, chores and hanging out with friends, is stressful. Those who struggle staying on track and staying organized will often find themselves falling behind on schoolwork. Furthermore, they will feel that there just aren’t enough hours left to get all the schoolwork done.

How many students do it?

Buas has 7223 students, which is seven thousand, two hundred twenty-three students (sounds more now, written like this). According to Medical News Today, 20% of those pulls off an all-nighter at least once a month, that is, 1444 students each month. So, it is a common occurrence that numerous students use. Fun fact: the National Sleep Foundation found out that 28% of students fall asleep in school at least once a week. This was before online class was a thing, so imagine the numbers right now. If you somehow notice yourself getting sleepy during online lectures, there is a 14-steps wiki how tutorial with pictures for this (https://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Sleeping-in-Class), thank me later.

How to survive an all-nighter?

Surviving an all-nighter can be tricky, but there is a thing that can help with staying awake, and more importantly staying focused. Of course, as the self-proclaimed CEO, I have my ways which I am glad to share with my fellow procrastinating students (otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this in the first place).

So, step one: don’t make that coffee, avoid caffeine. Yes, it gives temporary energy and alertness, while you are finessing that article, but trust me after an hour or two your focus and energy will crash into the floor. “So, Guy, what should we drink then?”, well I am glad you asked. Drink water, herbal tea or Aquarius (the drink), stay hydrated to keep your mind sharp.

Step two: make sure you work in a well-lighted area, a club uses light and lasers to keep you awake till 4 in the morning, maybe 7 if you are clubbing abroad. You need to use your own lights but lower the brightness of your laptop. This reduces the strain on your eyes, so your eyes get less tired.

Step three: grab your headphones and listen to some music, imagine yourself in a club, what kind of music do you hear? Probably techno, house, rap and maybe some carnival music. They use it to keep you awake. So what if you need to study for an important exam, well I got you, put on that “This Is Beethoven” playlist on Spotify, and listen to some really calming German piano.

The final step: and read carefully, because this one is important! Make sure that you give yourself a couple of hours of sleep before the end of the night, so you aren’t a complete zombie the next day. Davinci slept in sessions of two to three hours, so use this to your advantage. Sleep 2 hours before your alarm goes off at 9 a.m., and sleep during the day for an extra 3 hours, so that during the day your brains are at least somewhat useful.

In a nutshell

Of course, I know that it is better not to procrastinate, but things happen, time is precious, but we prefer to waste it (Kayne West). It is a common occurrence, with 20% of the students doing it, some may say that it is an inevitable part of the whole college experience. And I would lie if I didn’t use them, aced my exams with using them during my exam year in higher general secondary education, or “HAVO” in short. So, my fellow students, you now have, all the necessary information to pull off the infamous All-nighter. Get that Aquarius, and start working.