How to survive an all nighter in exam season: A guide

Exam season — the time of the year where finding a seat in the library is war, caffeine is your best friend, a sleep schedule is non-existent and you promise yourself that next year, you won’t repeat the mistakes that led you to this forsaken night again (you definitely will). Whether you planned on watching your lecture recordings in the dead of night and claim that last minute cramming is actually an efficient study method, completing an all nighter is a rite of passage. This guide is here to help you power through the long, caffeine fuelled hours ahead without wrecking yourself in the process. Good luck to all of you committing to the inevitable term three lock in.

1. Caffeine and snack stock up

Stage one of a library all-nighter is stopping by Rootes and grabbing some caffeine and snacks for the night. It doesn’t matter if it’s a monster, a red bull, or one of those Starbucks cans of coffee, just make sure you have something to keep you going. You also can’t forget to take some snacks to keep you going through the night: Chocolate, breadsticks, pot noodles or even scraps of leftover dinner.

2. Choosing a seat in the library

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Next up, picking the ideal seat in the library. The first and second floor of the library have the most comfortable seats, so go for one of those big tables with the comfortable red and green spinning chairs. Don’t go for a booth, because you’ll probably lie down and fall asleep without realising. And don’t worry, because you’ll be working in the middle of the night, the only other people in the library will also be ones who left their work till the last minute or are cramming. Don’t sit in the third, fourth, or fifth floor, those are miserable and will make you lose your mind in the silence and sea of closed off desks — especially the third floor extension with the jarring neon green dividers.

3. Phone time

Before working, there’s the mandatory half hour doom scroll on TikTok or Instagram. This procrastination won’t last long though, because you’ll probably see the time and realise that it’s an ungodly hour and the assignment deadline is only creeping closer.  There’s only so much more time you can wait before finally facing the assignment and diving into the totally preventable all-nighter.

4. Lock in

Now it’s time to actually work. Put your phone on do not disturb, turn it face down on the corner of your desk and put both headphones on. Tackle the hardest thing first. If you start with the easiest task, you’ll trick yourself into thinking you’re being productive while avoiding the real work. Get the painful part out of the way before you hit the inevitable 3 a.m. existential crisis.

5. Break

Once you get a solid couple of hours of work in you can take a deserved break. Go on your phone, but make sure it’s only for half an hour max, watch a YouTube video or take a walk around the library so you can try and make yourself feel a bit better about the current state of your life by seeing the other self-proclaimed “academic weapons” sat working at this insane time.

6. Lock in (again)

At this stage, you’re probably feeling one of two things: Either a second wind of motivation (unlikely), or the overwhelming urge to curl up and accept academic defeat (highly likely). If you’re feeling the former, I envy you. You’ll probably smash out a couple more hours and be able to go back home watching the sunrise and listening to the birds. If you’re the latter, we’re kindred spirits. This is the hardest stage so put on a high energy playlist, chug some more water (or caffeine) and remind yourself that future you will be grateful if you finish this now instead of struggling tomorrow.

7. Go home

When the sun is either rising or has risen, your brain is fried, and you’ve reached the point where even rereading a single sentence takes 10 minutes, that’s when you know it’s time to pack up and leave. On the way home, you might start questioning everything: Was this all worth it? Will you ever learn to manage your time properly? No. Probably not. But hey, at least you survived the all-nighter, and that’s an achievement in itself. Now, go collapse in bed for whatever sleep you can manage before your next visit to the library, and maybe — just maybe — start your work earlier next time (but let’s be real, we all know you won’t).