All nighters

[bbas]

Anyone else pull all nighters on a regular basis? Does it work for you? Obviosuly it gives you more time to study, but I would think that you would be so exhausted come test time that you would forget all that you studied anyway.

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[Psycho Doctor]

Anyone else pull all nighters on a regular basis? Does it work for you? Obviosuly it gives you more time to study, but I would think that you would be so exhausted come test time that you would forget all that you studied anyway.

i did it fairly regularly all thru college; it doesn't cause me a problem unless I start pulling them back to back You gradually acquire an immunity to them

 

[cobalt31]

it depends what times my tests are I have all evening tests this semester so I haven't pulled any all nighters yet, but last semester I pulled a couple for Ochem. One of the worst experiences I've ever had was pulling an all nighter during finals week for an Art History exam at 8am followed by an E&M final at noon. I stayed up all night with espressos cramming for Art History and got so jittery I couldn't focus anyway. It worked out okay in the end, but it definitely would have been better to just get some damn sleep, because I probably would have gotten the same grade anyway.

 

[happydays]

I did that once a week for an entire semester (not because I wanted to, but I had a paper due every week). It was the most unhappy semester of my life! Don't do it.

 

[Dr. Giggles]

It really depends on the time of the day the exam takes place. If it's at 8am, I've found that all-nighters work well, but 10am is probably the latest time before the drawback of decreased alertness outweighs the benefits of increased study time. Of course, this is assuming you've gotten decent sleep the preceding nights.

However, I think all-nighters are almost always preferable to trying to get by on just a couple of hours catnapping. Once I doze off, I can probably sleep through an earthquake for at least three hours.

 

[americanpierg]

Anyone else pull all nighters on a regular basis? Does it work for you? Obviosuly it gives you more time to study, but I would think that you would be so exhausted come test time that you would forget all that you studied anyway.

i pull them regularly because i find that the material is extremely fresh after 12 hours of straight hardcore sutdying that i can bascially recite the book word for word. recently ive began to sleep around 6pm and wake up around midnight, that way i wont be as tired, but ive never really had a problem with it since ive done it so much. it helps if the test is in the next morning, but ive also done it with tests as late as 7pm.

all nighters is a great tool towards exam taking, but i wouldnt recommend this if u have multiple tests on consequative days, as ive learned the hard way. druing last semesters finals i had 4 exams in a three day stretch and slept probably four hours over a 90 hour span (fell into short 1 hour naps without realizing it", i bombed my last exam becuase i started hallucinating, ended up 3.5 the class when i entered the finals with a "surefire" 4.0

 

[relentless11]

I tried it in undergrad and found it to be totally inadequate for me. I know others who can do well with all nighters, but not me. Since undergrad (now PhD student), I have become far more efficient with studying, and take pride in not having to pull any all nighters. My study methods seem to work in both the grad, med school courses, and the upper div undergrad elective courses that I take.

On a side note, I may stay up really late to finish paperwork or do something research related. But thats usually because I get all motivated and don't want to stop when I'm on a roll.

 

[yomaxpower]

I have never pulled an all-nighter. I really want to, but once 4am hits I have to get sleep and I think I am much more effective at test taking and studying if I have a few hours of sleep in me. This makes me feel like a complete pansy because most of my friends pull them on a regular basis.

 

[NiteOwl]

I have pulled several and I usually do pretty good on the tests/papers. You feel like crap when it is time to go to class, but it is usually worth it. I would rather stay up for 30-something hours and get an A rather than getting sleep and making a C. Energy drinks are your friend.

 

[junebuguf]

I pull them all the time. The worst one I ever pulled was during finals week a few years ago when I stayed up for 52 hours straight--and I forced myself to study the entire time. What made it remarkable was that my first exam was for general bio (mostly all memorization) followed by a physics final the next day (all conceptual) and I still managed to 'learn' during the latter 24 hours(which is much harder to do when sleep-deprived).

I would not recommend it, mostly because you will almost never retain any of the information, but also because it is definitely harmful long-term. Sleep deprivation adversely affects your immune system and can induce arrhythmias which could progress to more serious cardiopatholgies

In general, all-nighters are most effective when studying for something that requires memorization as opposed to understanding concepts (physics, physiology).

 

[StevenRF]

I hate pulling all nighters, and avoid them at all costs. Unfortunately I have a rediculous case of senioritis right now and just pulled one last night for my adv. biochem class.

It's so bad for me though. Usually by the test time Im so hopped up on caffeine and sugar I'm shaking and very dehydrated. Then after the test in the remainder of my classes I can't think about anything other than sleeping and running a few miles at the same time.

 

[jwnduke]

I am on an all nighter right now for an endocrinology exam this morning at 10:15. It should pay off because the material is largerly memorization, and I had not memorized this shiznit by bedtime last night!

 

[FrkyBgStok]

I have only pulled one all nighter and it was for gen chem. Had the test at night so by the time i took the test i had been awake close to 40 hours. and i don't drink coffee. needless to say i didn't do well on that test.

 

[Karina]

I never pulled one in undergrad, and I am a month and a half away from finishing my first year in med school without pulling one either.

I just remember taking all these psych classes and learning seminars, and them telling me that sleep is how your brain takes in all the information you tried to learn during the day, so by depriving yourself from sleeping, you are hindering your performance on the test. Whether that's true or not, I like to be in bed by 11:30 the day before a test.

Now in med school our tests are on mondays, so I get all week/weekend to study for them...I go to bed at 11pm on sundays, and may wake up at 5:30am on monday morning to review a little bit or look over the major concepts (things that I know were important and that I've written in one sheet of paper)...

I can't say if I'll ever have to pull an all nighter...but so far, it's worked not to...

 

[americanpierg]

I would not recommend it, mostly because you will almost never retain any of the information, but also because it is definitely harmful long-term. Sleep deprivation adversely affects your immune system and can induce arrhythmias which could progress to more serious cardiopatholgies

In general, all-nighters are most effective when studying for something that requires memorization as opposed to understanding concepts (physics, physiology).

I totally disagree with the first comment, as no one will pull enough all nighters consistantly to be harmful to their health. Sleep deprivation is like if u have sleep apnea or something and never get a good night of sleep for a long period of time. Pulling the occasional all nighter is not extreme enough to adversly affect someones health in the long run.

the second comment though i do agree with 100%, although physiology is more memmroizaton than conceptual

 

[njbmd]

Hi there,
I never studied all night for any reason. The only all-nighters that I pull are on call nights these days. It's much easier to operate all night than study all night.

When I was in college and medical school, I "front-loaded" when I studied, which means that I studied hardest about three weeks before my exams and then added the new material as it was presented. By the time the exams came around, I could use reading days for sleeping and fine-tuning.

I also stayed away from school during exam week, only showing up to take the tests and then leave. There was too much tension. In the end, this worked very well for me. I was usually rested which meant that I didn't screw up what I actually knew because of lack of sleep.

Try what works and stay with it. I usually had plenty of time to study but I kept up with my work regularly.

njbmd

 

[ND2005]

I find I usually reach a point of diminishing returns at about 1:30 or 2:00 -- after that my test performance benefits more from a few hours of sleep than a few hours of zombie studying.


I've come close to an all-nighter for a couple of papers, b/c I don't have to do anything once the paper is finished (unlike an exam, where you have to actually take the exam after you finish the all-nighter).

 

[freshh.]

I've done it twice in my entire college experience and I just don't think I could ever do it again. I got an A on the test I was studying for, but I spent the rest of the day shaking. Four days later I was still getting over it and I had the worst migraines in my life. I think it works for some and is physically impossible for others.

 

[BooMed]

I have never stayed up all night to study, I don't think it would be effective for me at all because I am a somniac.

For me it's much easier to study for my classes evenly all semester.

 

[deleted77919]

They're no problem with modafinil my friends . .. just convince your doctor that you have narcolepsy or "shift work sleep disorder" and you'll be on your way to super-human wakefulness periods in no time!

Yes this site looks skecthy, but summarizes things pretty nicely.
http://www.modafinil.com/

***Note: I'm not actually suggesting perscription drug abuse, trying to be humerous***

But in all seriousness I'm surprised that I hear about aderall abuse, but have not heard of students trying to get their hands on this. I by no means advocate it, but if one was inclined to use drugs to stay awake, I think this one would probably top the list.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

I agree with Karina - studying all night is dangerous for me.

I pulled plenty of all-nighters as an undergrad - and it usually worked - I got away with it and did fine. Now that I'm over 40, if I stay awake all night I find that I am hallucinating well before lunchtime.

Truth is, though, so much of the biological sciences is memorization - and I am no sleep expert, but something happens to reorganize those new memories during sleep. If I've gotten just a few hours sleep, what I've studied will stay with me. If I haven't slept, sometimes I draw a blank on something I just studied a few hours before and it's gone - and no way is it coming back until after the exam.

Besides, when you're over 40 and you've stayed up all night, it really shows in your face. People assume you're deathly sick and taking the test anyway.

 

[RayhanS1282]

I did it all throughout high school and continued to do it the first three semesters in college. But abysmal grades made me change my ways. I like to review a bit each day so that come exam time, I don't have the stress of trying to go over large amounts of material at one time. Also, by reviewing a little each day, it's easier to commit something to memeory than cramming. But some of my friends swear by it.

 

[jebus]

I get cranky without my afternoon nap and juicebox.

 

[DrBowtie]

I find I usually reach a point of diminishing returns at about 1:30 or 2:00 -- after that my test performance benefits more from a few hours of sleep than a few hours of zombie studying.


I've come close to an all-nighter for a couple of papers, b/c I don't have to do anything once the paper is finished (unlike an exam, where you have to actually take the exam after you finish the all-nighter).

Same except it is the hours from 3ish-5ish. I always sleep then no matter what b/c I know my brain is useless during that time.

 

[QuikClot]

I need my sleep. I'll stay up late and get up early, but I won't pull an all-nighter because I've never had a subject where the benefits of the additional time outweighed the decreased alertness. Professors are human (mostly) and in my experience, they don't put more material on finals than you can review in 12 or 14 hours or so (say 10 hours on test eve and four the morning of).

I do find it helps to study in the morning -- there's quite a difference between what you saw half an hour ago and what you saw last night. But I lean heavily on inductive reasoning and inference in test-taking, regardless of the subject; if I dull my edge with a sleepless night, the dreaded A- is sure to rear its ugly head.

Everyone should do what works for them, though.

 

[njbmd]

They're no problem with modafinil my friends . .. just convince your doctor that you have narcolepsy or "shift work sleep disorder" and you'll be on your way to super-human wakefulness periods in no time!

Yes this site looks skecthy, but summarizes things pretty nicely.
http://www.modafinil.com/

***Note: I'm not actually suggesting perscription drug abuse, trying to be humerous***

But in all seriousness I'm surprised that I hear about aderall abuse, but have not heard of students trying to get their hands on this. I by no means advocate it, but if one was inclined to use drugs to stay awake, I think this one would probably top the list.

Hey there,
Provigil is bad news with side effects. Caffeine is much better and no illegal scripts needed. Any of these types of drugs will mess with your brain chemistry. At least caffeine withdrawal is just crankiness and a headache.

Try to avoid the all-nighters unless you are on call. Then you don't have a choice. For on all, a cup of "joe" around 8pm and then "cat-naps" when possible will get you through until bedtime.

njbmd

 

[runlolarun]

Anyone else pull all nighters on a regular basis? Does it work for you? Obviosuly it gives you more time to study, but I would think that you would be so exhausted come test time that you would forget all that you studied anyway.

Hate them! I find that you get so tired that you end up goofing off alot of the time. I would avoid them at all costs. If you manage your time and don't procrastinate, the are pretty avoidable. I did a few in college and it is so not worth it.

 

[novawildcat]

Yes they work. Jr. year i had 7 final exams in 3 straight days. i didn't sleep from sunday-wed. late afternoon. did fine on all of the exams. after a while your tiredness just plateaus and you just feel like you are drunk.

 

[super_doc]

... 7 final exams in 3 straight days ...

You could have easily appealed for exam hardship and got ur exams spread out, avoiding the need to pull all nighters and therefore maintaining ur health.

 

[novawildcat]

You could have easily appealed for exam hardship and got ur exams spread out, avoiding the need to pull all nighters and therefore maintaining ur health.

At my school the only way to get your final exam moved is if you have 3 exams on the same day. Other than that, there is pretty much nothing you can do about it. I still took 3 exams in 1 day anyway, just cause i wanted to get the hell out as fast as possible for the summer.

 

[cobalt7]

Am I the only one here who values sleep? Man, maybe I am getting old. I tried to pull all-nighters back in the early eighties during my first attempt at college. This was usually a deperation move trying to catch up after not studying for several weeks before the exam. I usually failed the exams anyways.

On my second attempt I studied religiously during the day and early evening and then had the discipline to put the books away. Slow and steady definitely wins the race in undergrad.

 

[stoic]

i did a few all-nighters in undergrad. one of which resulted in me falling asleep driving from the exam and totaling my car. since med school started i haven't done any all nighters. there's just too much to learn in one night - you're probably better off going into a test you're underprepared for fully rested than exhausted and frazzled.

that said, the sleep in the few night preceding the night before the test is more important than sleeping the actual night before the test. i believe studies show this pretty conlcusively.

honestly you're better off not waiting till the last minute to learn the material. the irony in this statement is that i'm doing exactly that right now for a neuroscience exam!

and people, don't be stupid. if you're gonna stay up, don't illegally obtain ADHD meds.

 

[Va-Jay-Jay]

I pulled all nighters regularly in undergrad, and although they were no fun by any means, they served their purpose and I always did well grade-wise. But I blew off most classes until the last minute, and I could semi-master the information with the intense cramming. But now that I'm in med school, its a whole new world. There is just so much material, and I actually want to learn this stuff in a way that I'll remember some of it for more than a day after taking the exam. So I keep up with it the best I can, study hard the week prior to an exam, and ALWAYS get a decent night of sleep before test day. My lil' brain is as fresh as its going to be to solve clinical problems and think through scenarios. I will never again pull an all nighter to study... wish I could say the same for call nights.

 

[americanpierg]

Yes they work. Jr. year i had 7 final exams in 3 straight days. i didn't sleep from sunday-wed. late afternoon. did fine on all of the exams. after a while your tiredness just plateaus and you just feel like you are drunk.

lol i get what u mean, but after the 48th hour i surpass the drunk stage and enter the wide awake stage, its like getting a second wind. i wont feel sleepy at all, and usually force myself to sleep and when i do finally sleep i wont wake up till 24 hrs later

 

[pnasty]

i guess i am the exception but I have never stayed up past 1 am to study. staying up any later is reserved for going out, tv, or the girlfriend.....i hope none of you are snorting ritalin, some of my friends in high school did that to stay up