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Do some Uni students really do all-nighters to do work?

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law is all about reading, which is a lot easier to plan.

one sport? i could have done five different sports but not rowing and that would be a lot less effort... before regattas the training was up to 12 times a week (water, gym and ergs session) +2 additional ones with OUBC development squad...

It's less the planning and more the time. I often lose 3 days in a week just from mooting; add to that sports, careers evenings, careers workshops, careers related dinners, committee obligations (I play a part in running the uni's Gray's Inn association), and the odd night out (required to keep sanity), and you'll find that sometimes I have to plan to pull an all nighter. It just can't always be avoided.

I assure you, there is nothing wrong with my time management. Whilst I appreciate most people who pull all nighters could avoid them, that is not always the case.

Reply 61

Slumpy

Original post by moritzplatz

i think defining the workload for maths is a lot harder than for engineering.

assume you don't want to leave any question on a problem sheet, it could take you forever to do it (you know, when that last question is really hard or tricky)

With this kind of sheet, then, an all nighter must be pulled for your best effort, and so good planning isn't enough. Checkmate :wink:

Original post by TimmonaPortella

Sometimes I actually planned all nighters just out of preference. Have a relaxed week and an all nighter, or work hard in the week? Sometimes the former is just preferable!

Reply 62

WillowLeaves

I haven't needed to do all-nighters, and I'm really bad at avoiding procrastination. I usually go to the library on my days off and do work there because it's less distracting than staying home. I've had weeks where I was in the library for ten hours every day and got home feeling like a vegetable, but I still never worked past about 8.30 pm. With that said, I'm in social sciences where we have relatively little contact time and the focus is more on self-study, so it's pretty easy to balance the two.

Reply 63

Stramala

All-nighters only happen because you let them happen. That isn't a criticism - ironically my best work happens when I leave things to the last minute. Planning and doing things methodically somehow makes me do things wrong - my best grades have come when I've only started assignments 12 hours before the deadline (i.e. the night before) and worked through the night. Sure you might feel like crap afterwards, but I might have got 20% less marks. I only feel motivated when I'm truly against the clock, otherwise I tend to be half-arsed and uninspired.

I only do all-nighters because it works for me though. If doing a rush job hasn't worked for you in the past, don't start now.

Reply 64

zaliack

Going to do an all nighter tonight :tongue:

.

Got to do a case note of Hedley Byrne, then one for Caparo, 100 pages worth of admin law reading, about 60 for equity and trusts (plus a few case readings), then god knows what I'm doing for international law. Top it off with a moot which I need to prepare for, then you can easily understand why all nighters can be essential.

Reply 65

CantThinkOfaUsername

I ended up doing quite a few at different stages last year; twice when I'd underestimated how long it would take to get essays done before the deadline, then several more around exam time. Some people can manage all-nighters and others can't though; there's not much point in doing one just for the sake of it if it's not what you're used to. Sometimes they're almost necessary though, if you've not been as organised as you'd liked to have been and you're tight on time for a deadline.

However, I've learnt that pulling multiple all-nighters back to back is a really bad idea- last year, I did two all-nighters at exam time and they helped a lot with revision. I couldn't sleep much the third night (about an hour) despite trying to and ended up going into the exam and blanking even though I'd done loads of work. I couldn't sleep the next night either because I was annoyed about having messed up the exam so that was almost four nights in a row (even if only the first two were intentional). By the end I couldn't think straight and felt really weird when I was standing. I didn't pass the year, if that gives an indication of how beneficial they are...

Reply 66

Philosopher-of-sorts

I end up doing one every 2-3 weeks...

Unfortunately it's far less to do with personal disorganisation (that I could rectify) but more to do with having a disorganised tutor--quite often we'd receive work with a Monday morning deadline only on Thursday, and when you have a lot of extra-curricular commitments that's not really enough notice to get things done within normal working hours. Everyone in my group who does ECs either ended up doing all-nighters or going to sleep late and getting up early (e.g. going to sleep at 1 and getting up at 5).

My class is made up of very busy people though, most of us are running a society and/or doing 3-4 sports and other ECs and doing internship applications.

Reply 67

username858757

Original post by moritzplatz

My sister had rowing training at 6am almost every day, so all nighters really weren't a great idea for her

Reply 68

nataliekwong

Original post by photographylover

Hi! I'm 19 and in the second year of a foundation degree.

I've heard teachers talking about some students doing all-nighters just to finish the work.

But do a lot of Uni students really do this or is it just a load of talk?

Throughout the first year I never did any all-nighters. On days off, and I do the same this year, I just get up early and have the entire day to do it all.

I don't really feel that risking your health by having regular all-nighters just to complete work is really that good. I know a deadline is a deadline, but you won't really be able to function being up that long.

My friend told me the other day that he was trying to complete a piece of work by doing an allnighter, he succeeded and sent it in, but he was really late to his morning lecture [my definition of late is: he missed it altogether]. But the lecturer counted the work as handed in on time so :biggrin:

I think it depends on how people manage their time, and whether they like to sleep like logs, or whether they are light sleepers :biggrin:

Reply 69

milkytea

I was up until 3:30am doing maths on my third week. Mostly because I am poorly organised.

Reply 70

Fibrillation

I can't help but noticing people have different perceptions of all-nighters. I don't really consider working until 2.30 am an all-nighter, come on, most people are still drinking at that time at the weekend. I've known someone to walk to a morning lecture from the library - that's an all-nighter. If you don't have lectures the next day, I'd call working until at least 5-6am an all-nighter.

Reply 71

abbyheat

I did all my work during all nighters because that's when I work best and I don't like working in the day

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Reply 72

katyness

I have to do them quite a lot... because **** happens to me all the freaking time :frown:

Reply 73

username225218

I've never pulled an all-nighter... The stress doesn't do me any good! I need to have assignments completed at least a day before they are due in. The pressure of working through the night to get something handed in would drive me to a melt down - though, I'm sure, if the situation arose where for unforeseen circumstances I needed to, that I would manage. I do regularly work from 10pm onwards though. I can't concentrate in the day time and seem to hit my zone at 10-11pm and work until 2-3am.

Reply 74

riotgrrl

I've done about 4, I think. Sometimes work just builds up on you- I had about 5 weeks this term where I had 2-3 essays a week and by the end I was doing a few seriously late nights and a proper all-nighter the other week. During first year I think it was due a bit more to a lack of organisation. I reckon people at my uni probably average about one a term, the same as me, but my workload seems a bit more intense than friends at other universities.

Reply 75

A Cat

Original post by Fibrillation

My perception is staying up all night in order to complete work that must be handed in the following day. Otherwise what's the point lol

Reply 76

Nick Longjohnson

Not VERY often. Maybe 1-2 times a year.

Notable mention: 2nd year. Over 72 hours without sleep at one point.

Reply 77

HanaKimi

Original post by politics_student

If you don't mind me asking, how did you do in the assignment? Mine due in for Tuesday is going terribly, and I want it to go away too. :frown:

I got 59% and I was relieved tbh but gutted at the same time. Please, don't stress yourself over it now, it's due soon anyway so it's best to calm down, get yourself together and believe that you will get it done on time. Wish you the very best of luck!

Reply 78

HotfireLegend

Original post by lauraaaa.xo

I didn't make it a regular occurrence, but sometimes when you have a really rubbish assignment and 2 weeks till its due in its hard to find the motivation to do it. I find leaving it till the night before makes you get on with it because you have no choice. I wouldn't recommend it though!

Pretty much this. Sometimes people get too busy during the day to do it for whatever reason and when it's due, the all-nighter's the only choice! So yes, as you stated, SOME do it, but not all.