Tips for a successful all-nighter
YOU forgot about that assignment or there’s a snap quiz that’s going to make or break your grade point average. In an emergency when you have to pull an all-nighter, there are several nasty consequences to deal with including being tired and stressed on the actual day you have to perform. Here are some ideas on how to make it work better.
Set specific study goals
When you’re in a panic, you might think that simply putting in the hours guarantees success. It doesn’t. You need to be very focused so that all your effort goes to reaching your goal.
Look at what you need to know to complete the assignment, quiz or exam. This means formulating a list of all the spots you need to hit. Once you know what you need to do, you can work out a sensible approach to get it all done efficiently.
Make a timetable
Create a timetable that assigns how long you can spend on each goal. Who knows? If you’re lucky, it may include nap time!
Kick everyone out
Studying in a group is not useful at this point. You’ll just end up moaning about your work and not getting ahead. Go to your room, lock the door, switch off your phone and do not look at any social media. Be a hermit. Focus on the work.
Schedule breaks
Your brain won’t work full tilt all night, so you need to be sensible and have breaks. There is no hard and fast rule to how often and how you should break.
Best thing is to work with your body rhythms. For example, you may find you work best long haul in which case you’d work 50 minutes and break for 10.
Or you may be better at short flashes, in which case you’d work 20 minutes and break for five.
Most importantly, seeing you’re working all night, try to add in a good nap at the end. An hour is good but two would be better.