Hello and welcome. This is the next section in the "how to:" series. Right now, it is raining outside, and so it seems as if it is a perfect time for a blog. Today's topic was actually inspired by the ridiculous time that I went to bed last night, so I decided to advise all of you the top 6 ways to stay up late and study. Purdue is dandy today, and I'm just living the college dream. Before we start, I have a quick story about something that happened on my dorm floor a couple of days ago that I would like to share.
It would seem appropriate that from time-to-time, I write about the adventures that my roommate and I are apart of; just to give you an insight to our college experience. The story I am about to paraphrase took place about three or four days ago. Anyways, we live in Meredith 333 NW, and right down the hall from us, is this kid named Adam. He is perpetually thirsty, and therefore he walks up and down the halls at least ten times a day. So my roommate decides to be funny, and while this kid goes to the bathroom, he sneaks in his room and puts a rotten banana on his pillow. Sick right? What's even worse is that my roommate didn't even do it, I just told everyone that he did, and for some reason they believed me. He now has a reputation as a class "A" prankster, and we always have to lock our door in fear of revenge. But anyways, on to the good stuff.
1. Be uncomfortable.
As awkward as this sounds, it is actually one of the best ways to physically make your body stay awake. Everyone knows that if we are comfortable. We are more prone to falling asleep; however, we are not willing to see the opposite end of that spectrum and make ourselves uncomfortable to stay awake. Some examples of this are:
-When you are in a cold room, do not bundle up with a sweatshirt and sweatpants. Being cold is a good thing because this makes your body alert and not comfortable.
-Sit on an unnaturally uncomfortable chair/table. Sitting on a relaxing, inviting couch is a most dangerous way of studying.
It is important to note that your body has the keen ability to become comfortable in almost any situation after a given amount of time. Because of this, never stay in one position for long amounts of time. Shift, wiggle, stretch, shake. Do anything to re-awaken your body.
2. Caffeine
This option can be left up to a personal preference. Some people don't want or need to drink caffeine to stay up. Others are simply addicted, and can't function without it. Regardless of whatever group you fall into, caffeine is proven to stimulate the cardiovascular and nervous systems, and therefore, it is a good option to help you stay awake and continue studying. My only advice regarding caffeine is to not drink too much too quickly. It is not smart to down two entire cans of pop and then sit down and attempt to do homework until three in the morning. Caffeine does wear off over time, so one major consumption isn't the smartest of ideas.
3. Music
Music can either make or break you. It is also, once again, a personal preference. Many students hate to have music on while studying or doing homework, and yet others can listen to their iPods on full blast and be fine. The main key about music as a stay-awake tool is your music selection. Playing soft, instrumental music is probably not the smartest idea at 2 a.m. I would also not recommend death metal, screamo, or any other type of music that makes you want to kill yourself. A happy medium is very reasonable, and if used correctly, music can be a great studying tool.
4. Light it up
A fairly obvious way to stay up, but it needs to be said. Study in an area that is well-lit. Do not study in the basement that has flickering lights. Do not study in your dorm room when your roommate is asleep and the only light on is your desk lamp. You will not be as productive and the odds are very high that you will end up falling asleep earlier than you would have had you studied in a well-lit room. So light it up. (I do not support drugs in any way)
5. Hide that Clock
This is a little game I like to call "Hide that Clock." You already know that it is late, but why in the world do we need to see what the time is every 5 minutes? We have some uncanny need to prove to ourselves that it really is as late as we know it is. Stop it! Continually checking the clock only makes us realize that it is way too late, and then we begin setting stopping points instead of just ending when we finish our work. We say: "I know it's late, but I am stopping at 1:30 a.m." etc. Putting limits on our study time puts caps on the amount of homework or studying that we can accomplish. We start to focus on this time, and even begin to countdown until we are finished. With this mindset, we begin to rush through whatever homework or studying we have left, often jeopardizing the quality of our work. So, before you start studying, hide all of your clocks. Those extra 10 minutes can be the difference from an A and a B.
6. Study Buddies
A great way to study is with a partner, friend, or classmate. If you can find someone that is working on the same material as you, and doesn't mind the lack of sleep, you have found the ultimate way to stay up late and study. Study Buddies provide someone to talk to, to interact with, and not to mention, if you are both working on the same material, it might not take as long. Like most seemingly "too good to be true" deals, there are some catches. While some partners make excellent stay-awake helpers, everyone has those friends that are amazing people; however, they are simply the most distracting individuals in the world. So pick your partners wisely. Find someone who has a similar level of desire towards academics as you do, and you have a perfect way to stay awake.
For some people, this blog has no meaning because you do not even know what the concept of studying is. But for others, I hope that this helps, either by reinforcing concepts you already know, or providing the methods to make you the best student. Remember, school isn't necessarily about what we learn, as much as it is about how we learn it, and what we do with this knowledge.
Closing thought for the day: “Some men grow mad by studying much to know, But who grows mad by studying good to grow.” ~Benjamin Franklin
Signing off,
JD
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