If New York City is the “city that never sleeps,” it is probably safe to say that Gambier, Ohio is “the town that never wakes up.” Or the unconscious town, or the town in a coma. One step above dead. Our campus, known for many fantastic qualities, is not known for its opportunities for late night adventures. Or late night anything. With “quiet hours” beginning at midnight on weekdays, large study sessions in common rooms are generally disruptive affairs, and we are sadly sentenced to the darkness of our dorm room desks, where we either a) Netflix without chill, b) pretend to study, c) sleep, or d) toss back numerous cups of coffee while trying to avoid all of the above. Although college is certainly not affiliated with sleeping, Kenyon gets pretty quiet come the wee hours of the night. However, sometimes we have no choice but to keep our heads down (or up… off of our desks… or pillows…) and work until the sun rises, go to class, and remind ourselves that sleep is for the weak. With all that in mind, here are five tips for pulling an all-nighter at Kenyon.
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Keep in mind all of your options.
The library is open until 2 A.M. Sunday-Thursday, 9 P.M. on Friday, and midnight on Saturday. Ascension is open until midnight Monday-Thursday, 10 P.M. Friday and Saturday, and 9 P.M. on Sunday. Sometimes your bed might just be too tempting, or if you’re a person who needs a change in scenery (to keep yourself from getting too comfortable… and sleeping), it might be nice to move from third-floor Ascension, and then to the library, and then to your desk.
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Play some classical tunes.
As tempting as it may be to blast Beyoncé to distract yourself from your own exhaustion, it’s just that—distracting. Classical music is calming without being too distracting. It can also be helpful for blocking out noise, like the cicadas, or the girl with the Krud hacking up a lung on the other end of the hall.
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Turn on Self Control.
Yes, it is important to literally control yourself and stay off of social media, blogs, and all online shopping centers. However, if you are at all like the rest of us, you recognize that the internet is an extremely distracting place, and sometimes we all could use a little help staying on task. The Self Control App allows you to block out sites that may be distracting you from your studies for anywhere from 15 minutes to 24 hours. If you’re working on a PC, Freedom serves the same purpose.
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Chug ice water instead of coffee.
Coffee will only lead to inevitable crashing. And crying. Excessive caffeine ingestion can cause dehydration as well as disrupted sleep, so when you go to take your twelve-hour nap after classes, you won’t be able to properly rest. Trust me, you’ll be glad you kept yourself awake with coldness instead of caffeine.
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Don’t make more unhealthy choices than necessary.
Yes, we are extremely lucky that the Cove delivers at 2 am. And whoever invented Pop-Tarts should be crowned queen of everything, and a glass of wine is great for taking off the edge when you’re stressed. However, being bloated, sluggish, and hungover won’t get you to bed any sooner, nor make doing work any easier. You’ll also feel a million times worse in the morning. Try to stick to healthier, non-alcoholic treats. Your body will thank you.
So, next time you angrily sit awake and scold yourself for procrastinating yet again, turn on the Beethoven, pour yourself a tall glass of icewater and get cracking.