This is to all the other students who, like me, stay up to do their homework and get the necessities taken care of, all the while living their life and trying not to periodically crawl under a blanket for a precious thirty minutes of naptime each day.
Like many other students, I work a part-time job and maintain (or try to, anyway) a healthy balance between church services, volunteer opportunities with Circle K, time with my friends and fiancé and Odyssey as editor-in-chief. I have a full life and I am very grateful for everything I'm able to do. But that also means I just wish I could get some sleep! Granted, my late nights are consumed with spontaneous breaks of looking up new Christian rap artists, texting and random trips down the Facebook black hole...but, hey, as long as the work gets done, right?
Here are a few things that my fellow sleep-deprived students can appreciate.
1. Caffeine...and lots of it.
Okay, so I know caffeine is actually not very beneficial for you. However, if you're constantly feeling like you're never getting enough sleep, sometimes your favorite venti drink from Starbucks (Strawberry Acai with coconut milk is my fave!) is what will get you through your morning...and for that, I am not ashamed!
2. A lighthearted time in class makes my day.
Nothing is worse than getting off of work, heading to class and being stuck in an hour and a half lecture. If I want to sleep, I would totally rather do it at home in my bed than in the classroom. So sometimes having a class period that's lighthearted with occasional laughs is just what I need.
3. Time with friends is mandatory.
Yes, class and work are mandatory (for most of us...), but time with friends is occasionally just as important. Without some downtime with people who know us outside of the classroom, we're probably bound to get lost in that book we've been staring at for the past hour. Friends are there to appropriately distract you for a given amount of time so that when you go back into the abyss that is studying, you'll be refreshed and clear-headed.
4. You're perpetually tired, but cannot sleep in.
This is me right now. I love sleep, but getting up at 7 every morning takes its toll. Even if I only get 5 hours of sleep, I probably couldn't sleep in much more than 7:30-8 in the morning. It's like I'm on autopilot and I can't shut it off. A curse and a blessing, but definitely more of the former when I actually have time to sleep in.
5. Constantly feeling "busy"
I swear, even when I'm relaxing I feel like I need to "hurry up" and relax, because when I'm done "relaxing," then the real work starts. Do you ever think about how much work it can be sometimes to just relax? It's hard to simply "do nothing" because it seems like everything is knocking on my door, waiting for its turn to be heard and dealt with. Yes, research proposal, I see you, but right now I'm watching Inside Man, and I'm not to be disturbed.
6. The 'One-uppers'
Yes, you're busy and tired (and perhaps tired of being busy), but there's always going to be someone busier than you. Let me just say this: it's okay for you to wish you weren't so busy sometimes. But you shouldn't feel guilty for thinking this even though someone else is busier. Our responsibilities have different effects on all of us, and who's to say someone else's is better or worse than yours?
7. You scope out napping spots
Don't lie, I know you've done this, too. While on campus in the library you see a cozy chair or in the designated Quiet Room that overlooks the campus quad you notice you're starting to doze off as the sun hits you just right and you run through a quick pros and cons of just taking a nap here and now. I've never gotten to the point of giving in, but if you do, don't feel bad. Just make sure you're not leaving valuables out for the taking!
8. Stay awake vs sleep...
You've inevitably come to the difficult decision (whoever thought this would be difficult...) of whether to stay up until 1AM finishing homework or go to bed "early" at midnight. Your eyes can barely stay open, you're starting to get a headache from a lack of caffeine and sleep and ya just want to cuddle your pillow and call it a wrap. Do you take a chance of being able to finish the work tomorrow or suffer through it tonight? Decisions, decisions (fyi, sleep usually wins).
9. You're not alone
It's late. Like...no-human-should-be-awake late. You got home after a day with your friends or family and now you're working on answering five response questions to an article you've yet to read. It may feel like a lonely struggle now, but know it's not forever. And while there's always going to be some party going on, there's nothing to be ashamed of for working hard to have your work best represent you. That's not to say it always happens that way, but when you can, do the best you can, and don't look back.
10. You don't take sleep for granted.
Last, but not least, when you do actually get some shut-eye, you thoroughly enjoy it. Naps are no longer the Devil and they're even more enjoyable with they're with your significant other (or pet). You don't have to convince me to get some sleep!
