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

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.

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people who do all-nighters regularly are just not well organized.
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.


I've had an all-nighter at least once. In my general social circles, it's a thing that gets mentioned every now and then, but not often.
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!
Reply 4
It depends on the person, some people will do them all the time because they're disorganised and/or find it difficult to motivate themselves if the deadline isn't close. Others will only do them occassionally where they underestimated the workload, had some sort of problem like their laptop crashing or actually choose to so that they can do something else they want to do and get the work in on time. There are then people who never do them because they get the work done as early as possible so that even if something does come up they get it in on time without having to pull an all-nighter.

Basically quite a lot of students do them, but if you hate the idea then you can avoid them by doing work as soon as you get it.
Reply 5
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.


This should never happen regularly. Sometimes you get caught out but that's normally if there is a little disorganization or "forgot I had that essay due" situation. I have never pulled an all-nighter at uni just because I don't function after a certain hour anyway. My friends sometimes did during revision period but it certainly wasn't the norm.
Reply 6
I did a couple and in my second year, mostly due to laziness with assignments.
Personally I found I did just as well in assignments where i pulled all nighters, but i think this is mostly because i knew it was make or break time.

I also find when it gets to about 40 hours without sleep i'm essentially useless at everything / can barely function.

Not advisable, but it is always useful to know that if you really have to, you can get 24+hours or work done non stop.
Reply 7
If people are organised and manage their work load well then they shouldn't need to. Only if someone leaves their work to the last minute, will they find they need to do an all nighter.
Reply 8
My housemate would always pull an all nighter the evening before it was due. I think he enjoyed the pressure. We have 12 noon deadlines and he'd always hand it in at 11.59.35. Rather him than me!

Sadly, he should have easily got a first but because he didn't try he didn't.
Yeah I did plenty. Mostly due to bad organisation/trying to have a life/procrastination, but sometimes it was actually completely unavoidable. When you only have 36 hours to read/research for and write an essay with no title and no given reading list, those night hours become very valuable :yep:
Reply 10
Original post by moritzplatz
people who do all-nighters regularly are just not well organized.


2 months into uni so far and i've had to pull 3-4 all-nighters. totally agree, it was simply due to my lack of time-management. you don't need to do them if you're well organised.
I've done 3 whilst I've been at University. 1 was me under estimating the time it would take to complete an assignment during first year. I'm in my 4th year now and I find that when I start an assignment I can get really into it and then don't want to stop until it is done. This is a week or so before the deadline so isn't a panic, I just seem to like to keep going until my motivation reduces and tiredness sets in! It happened in 2nd semester of 3rd yr and 3 weeks ago! People say that all nighters reduces the quality ... but the last 2 I did were a 2:1 and a 1st - can't remember what the 1st year one was.
Reply 12
I haven't done an all-nighter, but I do often do long nights of work, or in some cases, sleep 20:00-03:00, and then study from 3 until the lecture. As a student, when you need to get work done, you'll find a way. Simple fact of life.
Reply 13
Not quite 'all-nighters' but I regularly leave work to the last minute. It's both a blessing and a curse, if I balance it well so I still keep everything under control, I do some of my best work under pressure. On the other hand, it's easy to lose track of things and get overwhelmed. I advocate a kind of methodical procrastination. :tongue:
Reply 14
Original post by moritzplatz
people who do all-nighters regularly are just not well organized.


Or are just having to juggle too many commitments. I had to pull a couple of all nighters because I was working virtually full time alongside my degree, supporting my family and coursework was on a few occasions clustered together.

In general, it's poor time management, but there are a few occasions where it's out of the person's control.
Reply 15
All nighters are popular amongst Engineers. I can't tell you anything about other departments.
Reply 16
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.


I have stayed up until 5am twice and 7:30am once this term. I wouldn't recommend them, but if you are determined to finish the work then they are worth it. I would say though that the main reason I stayed up all night was because I have some one-on-one supervisions which are pretty awkward if I haven't done enough work!

Generally though I would say that most people at my uni pull at least one late night a term, although that can range from staying up until 2am working through to all-nighters.
I'm not at uni (going next year), but I find it easier to work when it's dark outside than during the day. It's much easier for me to knock out an essay at night than it is during the day... maybe it's just the pressure of having to get it done though - during the day I've always got that 'eh, there's still time later' feeling. Either way, I envisage myself being a bit of a night-owl when it comes to uni work :tongue:
Original post by moritzplatz
people who do all-nighters regularly are just not well organized.


If this is true for people on your course, I envy all of you.

Some of us can't avoid it sometimes.
I did one just that passed Thursday night, reason being poor prioritisation. Went out and got pissed all week instead of doing the work due Friday.

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