Christina VarvisIt’s the night before a major project is due. Cameron Library is closed and you make your way downstairs into the Knowledge Commons, the only place open on campus past midnight aside from HUB. How the hell do you do an all-nighter?
As the tired, angry-looking fourth- year who has done it too many times, I’ll tell you.
Just like taking a surprisingly ok Arts elective or having sex with a professor, staying up working the night before a major project is due is a university rite of passage. Unfortunately it’s not interesting enough to talk about with friends, but it’s an important accomplishment nonetheless.
All-nighters in themselves aren’t bad. Late hours are probably the best time to sit and get a lot of work done because of the silence and the lack of activity online or in one’s immediate surroundings. But pulling night-before all-nighters is a nasty habit. Many instructors will say that procrastination is the major factor preventing students from getting the most out of their education.
The most important thing to keep in mind the night of is to not think about these things. Obviously these all-nighters are a last resort. Brooding over what could have and should have been is distracting, depressing and unproductive. One way to avoid these thoughts is to distract yourself with good work music: I enjoy the weirdo funk of Remain in Light by the Talking Heads. The best way is to simply be absorbed in the work. Find whatever interests you and go hard. If there’s nothing you find interesting, either you’ve chosen a bad essay topic, what you’re working on is especially boring, or you’re in the wrong degree program. It’s better to acknowledge this and drop out in your first year than lying to yourself for four years and having an emotional/mental/existential breakdown on the bus. No one will hug you on the bus.
As the night progresses and after you’ve done some good work, don’t be afraid to take some time off. The night is surprisingly long and depending on when the project is due, there is still time to finish up things like correcting an essay’s prose in the morning. Drink enough caffeine to stay awake, take short naps when you’re tired and when you felt like you’ve deserved it, take a walk to the Tim Hortons/Wendy’s on 87 ave. Smoking a couple cigarettes isn’t a bad idea and a short, strong buzz might be what you need.
I’ve only ever pulled all-nighters while writing essays, so I can only offer specifics for these. A full night and a few hours in the morning is just enough time to write a subpar 2,000 word essay. Do as much research as your ideas need. If you need facts, taking the time to find quotes in academic papers is better than generalizing. Other times, a high-pressure free write is good too since it produces ideas and arguments that you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. Always keep the book you’re writing on open and check to see if your ideas make sense, abstract as they may be. Long passages are also a good way to increase word count. Alternating between writing new material and correcting prose is another good way to keep your head in the game.
Unavoidably, the first time will be difficult. Panic will set in and you’ll probably hate yourself a little. But university is about learning who you are and what you’re capable of. There is a sense of triumph after it’s all done, especially when you hand it in.
