Sometimes, despite our best efforts of scheduling and planning ahead, projects, papers, and assignments can get away from us. This usually happens if we procrastinate, but also if we underestimate the time required to complete a project. It happens to all students, and some students, especially younger ones, may actually thrive on all-nighters. They're the ones who have drawers full of No-Doz and probably have coffee IV drips.

I am not one of those people. I love hours and hours of uninterrupted sleep, and I do not love the anxiety that comes with a runaway project, paper, or assignment. I am also in my 30s, and my body and brain don't react the same as they would have in my 20s. I try to take care of myself, and that includes avoiding cramming and all-nighters.

But...sometimes it happens. This past Sunday, I found myself struggling with ConnectMath from 11AM to 11:30PM (with breaks scheduled in...I'm not masochistic). This came from thinking I only had 4 homework assignments to do...but the reality was I had 8. And I also had a take home test due the next Monday, which I would not have had time to do that Monday. So I was up until 3AM finishing the take home test.

I went to bed at 3 and woke up at 5:30 for work, then had school from 6 to 8 PM. But I didn't need to wait until then for the effects of an all-nighter to hit me: I woke up the next morning dead tired, and feeling like I had a hangover. My brain was sapped, and my body hurt from sitting all day and night. I was sluggish at work, and since I don't drink caffeine due to my Hashimoto's...I was SOL.

Exam #2 was bumped to a 100% after a night of wrestling with a system that didn't want to recognize the correct answers...

I made it through, then went home and went to bed. This experience was drastically different to the all-nighters I pulled at FIDM in the early 2000s. Then, I was able to stay up all night and drive to school with a project I did just hours before, perfect and polished, and feel just fine. This time...I don't know if my performance was effected aside from one question on the take home test, where I was so tired I typed in the wrong format of question without checking. I gave the instructor my scratch paper as proof that I did the question right, and hopefully I can recoup some points. Otherwise I scored an 87% (as of time of publishing, the instructor reviewed my test and scratch paper and bumped the score up to 100%).

What is the point of this drivvel, Jen?
The point is, you may find yourself pulling an all-nighter on top of your full work and full school schedules, plus kids and all the trappings of an adult life. I feel if you resign yourself to experiencing this once, the burden of frustration when it hits will be less. It's a normal part of college. It doesn't mean you are a failure, or you somehow just suck at being a college student. It is just something you need to roll with. So...

Here's a guide on how to deal:

• Keep in mind this motto: "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today...or before you sleep." When you hit the late hours of 11 or 12 PM on an assignment due tomorrow, don't think you can somehow squeeze it into tomorrow's busy schedule. This is what I was faced with when it came to the take home test. I thought...would I have time after work to do this test? Work ended at 4. It was due by 5. No, there was no way. There was no way to sneak it in at lunch or anything. So I resigned myself to the fate of working on it that night. Even if you think you can pull it off, reality has a way of biting you in the butt. You can't predict tomorrow...but you know what's on your plate today.

Two eggs and a banana makes a pancake that is much better than heavy wheat based batter.

•  Don't be tempted to load up on sugary or carby food or drinks, including high doses of caffeine. The best bet? Go for a breakfast meal. Eggs and bananas. Or, egg and banana pancakes. It's like you're eating crappy Bisquik carbs, but there's energy in there. I top those off with Earth Balance Soy Free spread, which has stuff like Omega-3s and energizing avocado oils. Also try some nuts, and sip some water and Powerade. You may be feeling sorry for yourself and want to ease the pain of a night full of work by getting some candy or a Starbucks, but you'll pay for it later. If you have to reach for some caffeine, nosh on a chocolate square or sip some Diet Coke for a hint of pep. One of my favorite tricks is to take a bite of candied ginger. It's got some sugar, but it packs a punch and wakes you up! Just avoid things like rice, potatoes, wheat products, and corn because those will give you carb comas.
• Take breaks. You may want to just power through it, but in reality this will make you more tired. Take 10 and 15 minute breaks to rest your eyes now and then. Get up and stretch. While working on that homework and take home test (which had a 4 hour time limit), I got up and walked downstairs to get water, then stretched and did a few yoga poses. Keep the blood pumping! But also, give your brain a break. 
• Keep track of your progress. When I was working on all that homework, I kept track of time. I made a small plan of when I wanted to get each assignment done. I gave myself 1.5 hours per assignment. If I had extra time, I took a longer break or got started on the next one. If I saw I was running long on a time limit, I worked a bit faster. On one assignment I kept getting a question wrong, so I skipped it and moved on. I then went back to it when all the other assignments were done. This way, I wasn't trapped in frustration. The problem was much easier to solve after that! 

And lastly...

• Learn from the experience. How did this assignment get away from you? For me, I had checked earlier in the week and thought I had 4 assignments due. My mistake was I planned stuff with my cousins (I am tutoring them) on Saturday and didn't check again. Hardly a huge mistake, but I shouldn't have allowed myself to procrastinate. This week I am doing the assignments the day of. And I planned tutoring for later in the day for Saturday, and I am capping it at 2 hours (we spent 5 hours tutoring on Saturday!). But I also realized that math tests take longer for me. I spent 3 hours on that test. I was hoping I could do that test in 1 hour. Now that I know that I need time, if we do have another take home test, I am going to schedule that time appropriately.   

This week I managed to avoid another all-nighter. I did start my assignments early and made sure to double check the ConnectMath website in case more assignments popped up. I rewarded my progress with dips in the pool...I completed an assignment, and then allowed myself some time swimming, then got back out and worked on the next assignment! I got a full night's sleep...which is its own reward!

Have you had an all-nighter as a non-traditional or returning student? How did you cope? How did you feel the next day? Do you think it effected your grades at all?