All Night

This is what last night's study session looked like. At least I cram in style!

One of the trademarks of college that people always warned me about was exhausting all-nighter. You know, the fabled study sesh that you mentally and physically have to prepare yourself for. Typically happens when you have procrastinated far too much and the deadlines have stacked up on you or when finals hit and you hunker down in the library with a blanket and gallon of coffee. This is the part of college that I was not looking for as a young freshman-to-be. Having to commit yourself so hard to your studies that you lose sleep? I'm all about being a good student and working hard, but that just seems like too much!

Typing this as a senior I can tell you that...I have not had to do this even once. There was the one time that I really thought I was going to have to! I had a history paper due and a philosophy exam on the same day. I put my PJs on, grabbed my work, draped a blanket around my shoulders, snagged some snacks and made my way to the upstairs lounge--dorm living!! In reality...I was done and back in bed by 2 AM. In my defense, it did feel like an all nighter because my history class was at 8 AM.

This year already there have been a few times where I probably could have repeated this (last night, for example!) My tip to my fellow collegiates: just prioritize and focus. Honestly, you cannot afford to lose sleep in college. You need so many hours of sleep to help you store the information for that exam that you have put off studying for. You also need that sleep to maintain a halfway friendly demeanor and positive relationships...at least I do!

<3 Ashley

Have you been known to pull an all-nighter or seven? How were able to be a functioning human? (serious inquiry)