Sleep
should win over studies
By Ericka Avila
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
Sleep has somehow become a luxury as students use the late hours of the night
to finish schoolwork that did not get done
during the day. When it comes to writing papers or studying for a major exam,
students at Cal State Long Beach are shifting toward pulling all-nighters as
a last resort. Most students lead busy lives and try to juggle school, work
and their personal lives. This leaves them with limited time for studying,
reading or writing 10-page papers.
CSULB is a commuter school. Because of this, students are faced with the responsibility
of fending for themselves. They must work in order to pay rent, car payments
and other living expenses which can drain their study time.
“
You have to learn how to balance your life and remind yourself why you’re
here,” said Maddy Memmer, a freshman women’s studies major. “A
lot of people are procrastinators and you kind of look at it as your last resort.”
For her, studying for subjects, such as English, come easier as opposed to
studying for a physics exam.
“
Students are busy and nobody works only 20 hours anymore,” said Leticia
Araiza, diversity staffing manager for Cingular Wireless, and a graduate of
Cal State Northridge. “You have to do what you have to do to get the
work done.”
Another contributing factor to all-nighters is the large amount of studying
a student takes on. Students may sometimes take on several subjects in order
to finish their schoolwork on time.
“
Studying for more than one material will interfere with the ability to recall
information for another exam,” said Chi-Ah Chun, a CSULB assistant psychology
professor. “Students who study for more than“one subject will do
more poorly.”
Edward Arthur Serna, a physician assistant at Centro Medico Santa Cruz, said
the body’s immune system will slow down if it does not get enough rest.
According to Serna, exercising on a regular basis and eating healthy will help
body gain more strength.
“
Caffeine will give you a quick pick-up, but most people will have difficulty
sleeping after they are done studying,” Serna said.
Chun agreed that getting few hours of sleep is unhealthy.
“
College students are very young and healthy, but [pulling all-nighters] can
cause existing problems to exacerbate,” Chun said. “Symptoms can
include upset stomach, head ache, red eye or some difficulty with concentration
which can be detrimental to an exam.”
When it comes to task of balancing work, school and life Memmer said, “You
have to learn for yourself.”
If the ultimate goal is learning, Chun says rest should come first.
“
I strongly recommend students to get rest before an exam so you can utilize
the knowledge you gain from studying,” Chun said.
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