Until recently, I thought that I was the only person in the history of the world who'd ever tried to eat instant coffee. Yes, you read that correctly. Well, that was until I confessed this shameful secret to a group of law students and discovered I was not alone.
Most of us will pull at least one crazy law related all-nighter during our degrees. This is a feat requires an ingenious method of staying awake and a commitment to the law student motto "Sleep is for the weak, caffeine is for the strong".
In a fit of late night desperation, maybe you’ve found yourself considering (or even attempting) one of these options:
Making a contraption with some toothpicks wrapped in cotton wool to prop your eyes open and keep them there until you've memorised all 2000+ sections of the Corporations Act.
Studying while wearing a corset, itchy woolen trousers and a cat collar with a bell on it, in the hope that uncomfortable, constricting and noisy clothes will delay sleep just that little bit longer.
Turning on all the lights, cranking the aircon as low as possible and playing heavy metal music alternated with Justin Bieber loud enough to shake the walls, purely to test the theory that you can't sleep when all your senses are screaming in pain.
Buying a set of cheap, wobbly chairs and a cheap wobbly table; it's impossible to fall asleep when the furniture could collapse under you at any moment. This is a somewhat less sharp alternative to the traditional bed of nails.
Buying a Tamagotchi on E-bay in the hope that it's incessant beeping will keep you awake.
Conducting comprehensive research to determine which products have the highest level of caffeine/sugar/other awakening stimulants and then going grocery shopping on this basis, ending up with more caffeinated products in your trolley than actual food.
Buying every can of your preferred energy drink/coffee/brand of caffeine tablet in your local convenience store, leaving an empty shelf and a shop assistant with raised eyebrows.
Mixing energy drinks with other soft drinks for "variety", all the while looking like a mad scientist on a quest to find the perfect "study juice".
But there's a serious message too...
Although an occasional all-nighter isn't really a problem, if it's becoming a regular occurrence, consider making some changes to your routine before your health and grades start to suffer. If you're having difficulties with tine management or the workload, talk to your friends, family or a university counsellor for suggestions.
As much as Law students joke about their caffeine consumption, too much caffeine is really unhealthy and can have some pretty nasty side effects. Sleep is the only substitute for sleep.
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