Are All Nighters The Best Way To Go?

Sleepless nights and lots of coffee might have been what we all wanted when we were finally high school freshmen but it sure doesn’t sound so dreamy today.

Adults, especially young ones tend to spend many nights with little or not sleep at all and this often has to  do with studying or doing homework they avoided until the last minute.

I, like most, was this kind of college student and can relate to every bit of it.

But… What’s the truth?

Does it actually have any benefits?

Or do you end up exhausted and feeling unaccomplished?

Well, here’s my experience.

When I first started college I was not aware of all the time it would take up.

I even got a job in a coffee shop because my class schedule was so good that I would only have to attend classes for two or three hours a day tops.

It took me about two months to realize that surprisingly (for me), I couldn’t hold that job, get sleep, have friends and study at the same time.

Sadly, in order for me to realize this, I had to go through the experience all students go through at least once: pulling an all nighter.

That week had gone by faster than I knew and I suddenly found myself a day away from the due date of a paper that represented 40% of the final grade.

That final day went by pretty quickly as well so by the time I sat down with my laptop it was already 8 p.m.

Despite the fact that I made myself uncountable cups of coffee, by 11 o’clock my brain was already begging  me to shut down and my eyes would close automatically like broken blinds.

The paper of course was nowhere near done.

Stopping was not an option because it basically meant failing the class and continuing wasn’t one either because my head was two seconds away from exploding.

The only thing I was able to do was stare at the blank Word document in front of my eyes.

All of a sudden, I remembered something.

I had bought energy aromatherapy essential oils.

It was my only option, so I turned on my old diffuser, which hadn’t been touched in years.

The smell started filling the air but sadly, it did not seem to work at all. In fact, it is possible it made me sleepier than before.

I looked at the clock and it marked 4 a.m., the paper, which was supposed to be ten pages was barely six and I had to be at school at seven in the morning.

“It’s now or never” I thought to myself and cracked my knuckles as if I were inside an action movie.

In the remaining three hours I managed to put together a half-decent 10 page essay.

I got dressed and left with it.

I felt oddly accomplished and walked into class with a huge smile and a strong pace.

Even though that moment could be considered satisfying and for some it might make the experience worth it, I have to tell you this was three years ago and never again have I let it happen to me.

I quit my job the next month and focused on having all my assignments ready or at least almost ready before the due date.

In addition, I started prioritizing sleep over many things, simply because I eventually learned about the consequences of not getting enough sleep.

What I learned from this experience is that although most of the time you can actually do your assignments the night before, it is always better to have them done already.

The feeling of accomplishment given by a barely done paper at 6 a.m. is in no way comparable to the actual happiness and relaxation you feel when going to sleep at 10 while looking proudly at your finished  paper.