Have you become a student owl?

During the weeks of revision it is far too easy to turn into a ‘student owl’, and by this I simply mean nocturnal. Despite what we are told about how it’s best to revise when the sun is up, the benefits of being nocturnal are surprisingly large – particularly when there is a 24 hour library available. Past midnight there are no fights for computers and no one to distract you, as everyone else (for some strange reason) is asleep!

If you can relate to any of the below, then you know that you’re truly reaping the benefits of late night study and owl-living:

King of the Nap

Do you find yourself saying ‘I really need to be out of bed before 4pm’ as if it’s a challenge?  If you’re setting alarms to get you out of bed before the sun sets, you’re basically at owl status.

You don’t actually have a bedtime – in fact, you rarely sleep any time before  5am.  Instead, you take naps… lots and lots of naps. Anywhere and everywhere. Usually with sheets and sheets of work as a pillow- you often wake up with notes imprinted on your forehead.

Subtle

Mealtime…  What’s a mealtime?

Does your breakfast time clash with your housemates’ lunch or dinner? Do you find yourself munching Granola while your flat mates are making curry and looking at you as if 6pm isn’t a normal time for breakfast?

And have you been known to eat your dinner at 3am? If it’s acceptable after a night out, it can be acceptable after a heavy revision session.

Granola or Risotto?

Good Morning Joe!

Have you waited for the sun to rise before walking home from the library in order to avoid the various Selly Oak machete gangs? (I encourage this decision, machetes are not something to joke about and Old Joe looks his best at sunrise).

He looks better at sunrise.

Owl Fuel

Do you wish that the Costa, Starbucks and iLounge’s opening times were more appropriate to your nocturnal life style? Shutting at 6pm?!  Realistically, it’s unlikely you’ve even made it to campus by that hour. The infamous iLounge rocky road remains a dream as your principal source of nutrition is whatever you can afford from the vending machine.

The idea of a study session without plenty of pro plus and redbull sounds almost as bizarre as the idea of a study session before midday.

Billy buzzin off bull

Hermit Hunt

Do you use your revision breaks as an opportunity to hunt for the library hermit, as you are fairly sure that aside from him, you are one of the only people so often in the library at this time? Let’s be honest, with the amount of times you’ve taken naps in the library you could BE the hermit.

Hermit, is that you?!

Exam wake-up call

Your biggest concern is not failing your exams, but your capability to be awake for them. When was the last time you saw anything other than your duvet at 9am? You have an in-depth, fool proof wake-up scheme involving multiple alarms, early morning phone calls, flat mate intervention and water guns.

A bit late for your 9am…

Early Bird meets the Owl

Have you bumped into your flat mates leaving the house for an ‘early morning run’ whilst you return from a late one at the library intending on going to bed.

Unfortunately this nocturnal lifestyle cannot last forever. After the 6th of June the library returns to normal hours and the student owls will return to their nests. The end is in sight!