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In defense of the all-nighter

Dedication, strategy and resilience. These are the keys to success — and also to a fruitful all-nighter. Many folks claim it is not a viable long-term technique. However, when someone makes the decision to pursue an all-nighter, it is not usually out of choice. 

Forgotten deadlines detailed in course syllabi creep up when least expected. Jobs and other responsibilities do not often take school schedules into account. Neither do emergencies. Deadlines claw at students until there is no alternative — give up or rise up.

The downsides of an all-nighter

What do students have to lose? Mostly sleep. But also, chances to ask questions and check for understanding are set aside for another day. Essays are left incoherent and unedited, and after a night without snoozeville, memorization skills will waiver. 

Things could go wrong. Alternatively, things could go incredibly right.

When settling in for an all-nighter, rebels do not need to live by the rules of the so-called experts on learning retention. It’s better than not studying at all! Remember that Science of Sleep psychology course that showcased every harm that comes from insufficient rest, like hostility, shortened life expectancy and memory loss? Me neither.

The countless rewards of an all-nighter

Believe it or not, studying until the break of dawn makes some students feel invigorated. Alexander Korski, a second-year law student at Dalhousie’s Schulich School of Law, lingers in the halls after his Constitutional Law class. 

Approached for comment, he says, “Between all-nighters and a study schedule, I’ll just say this: who doesn’t want to bask in the morning sun on top of their bed covers? It’s like a reward.” 

A reward, indeed. As the soft light kisses the makeshift textbook-pillow beneath a student’s head, they know all of that knowledge is fresh as it can be. 

You might be thinking, with a study schedule, there would be time to ensure every chapter and equation is accounted for. The mind can be a steel trap, but it can also be like a plastic pasta strainer: barely holding it together with lone noodles of knowledge slipping through and clogging the sink. Therefore, the risk involved in not pulling an all-nighter is far too substantial to ignore.

A romantic pursuit

For some intrepid students, risk and reward are what an all-nighter is all about. The rush. The roll of the dice. The “will they, won’t they” of the hopeless romantic and the failing grade. Are they going to make it? The odds are stacked against them, but in this whacky town, who knows what will happen! Dare to dream a little.

Those who get the daily recommended eight hours of sleep and have effective study schedules, simply do not understand this mindset. They do not realize the value of investing time in other, more important things than lengthy study schedules: things like jobs, societies, volunteering, frisbee, billiards and doom scrolling are all an essential part of students’ lives.

More perspectives

Despite the perks of all-nighters, several students claim to not be allured by the thought of burning the midnight oil. 

Notable centrist Christine Buchanan says, “I don’t have any strong opinions on study schedules. I just personally think all-nighters are bad. If you study less so that you get some rest before a test, maybe you’ll actually do better.” 

VP executive of the Law Students Society, Enaya AbdElGaber, says while recalling the last time  she pulled an all-nighter, “It took me a week to recover.” A valid criticism, but as my softball coach used to say after someone pitched a high-speed ball directly into my hip: no pain, no gain. 

The day after

If a life without increased sleep deprivation and skyrocketing cortisol is not appealing, then creating a study schedule is likely the best path forward. Keep it as regular as life allows and there will always be an excuse to dip out of a boring party early: “Oh, sorry, it’s just that this is eating into my study schedule.” 

However, if the rush, the heroics and the heartache of all-nighters sounds like a long-awaited homecoming, follow those instincts. Better yet, just dissolve this false dichotomy altogether: base your study schedule around all-nighters.

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