End-of-year cram sessions alter sleep schedules

On average, college students spend between six and seven hours sleeping every night. Studies show this isn’t enough.

Partying is often blamed for students’ lack of sleep, but this time of the year brings a different culprit.

With final exams, term papers, projects and presentations all due within the same couple of days, students struggle to find time outside of their daily routines to complete this extra workload.

“All this work is very difficult to finish in such a short amount of time,” senior Jon Wicks said. “In order to get it done, I have to stay up until the wee hours of the morning.”

Most adults function best when they sleep for about eight hours, but exam time lessens the already low number of hours students are sleeping per night.

According to the University Health Service of the University of Michigan, “While your memory skills may be relatively unimpaired (e.g., for a multiple choice test), losing a night’s sleep can decrease processing and analyzing skills.” The Michigan researchers recommend that students “make time for adequate rest before essay exams.”

But what if resting isn’t an option? Some students are either in classes or working all day, so when they finally get home, it’s time to start studying. Sleep does not fit into their schedules.

“Working and taking classes turns every day into a race with the clock,” senior Heather Warren said. “The end of the semester is the worst.especially when you’re trying to graduate. It’s really hard to coordinate work schedules with school schedules and other things that come up.”

To avoid last-minute cram sessions and sleep deprivation,
the University of Michigan recommends these tips for test preparation:
 Develop a schedule for reviewing material. Daily reviews help you retain information better than cram sessions before the test.
 Compile a checklist of information covered since the last exam. Master main concepts and pertinent details.
 Review class notes, textbooks and other readings. Focus on material in bold type or italics.
 Attend office hours and ask questions.
 Ask the instructor what will be covered on the test and what the format will be.
 Review the syllabus. Anything listed may be on the exam.
Information from the University of Michigan:
http://www.uhs.umich.edu/wellness/other/sleep.html

Students who are also parents and spouses really begin to feel the heavy burden of playing multiple roles.

“I am a working mom of four and a wife, and going to school is not such an easy task,” Shontell Sanderson said, who attends classes in the evening. “Working mothers need more help.”

The James Branch Cabell Library tries to assist students with last-minute test and project preparations by providing a service called Library Lite All Nite. From Nov. 26 through Dec. 18, the library is open 24 hours a day beginning Sunday morning at 11 and ending Friday evening at 9.

“Library Lite All Nite was initiated based on requests from the Student Government Association in Spring 2005,” said Patricia Flanagan, associate university librarian for public services. “As you might imagine, use of the late hours varies with the exam schedule, tending to get a bit lighter as the exam period wanes. However, it has been a very popular and utilized service, and we receive expressions of gratitude from students for providing it.”

The service really helps students who are procrastinators and have put off all semester what they were assigned three months prior.

“My problem is that I wait until the last minute to do all of my work,” Wicks said. “So what is usually a moderate workload spread throughout the whole semester becomes late night after late night until the semester is finished.”

This method of being productive may actually be more counterproductive, sometimes leading to anxiety, depression, automobile accidents and illnesses such as colds and the flu.

The University of Michigan attributes these problems to the weakening of the immune system when people become sleep deprived.

“Sleep maintains your circadian rhythms, restores your body functions and strengthens your immune system. It also helps you remember what you learn and prepares you for your next challenge,” the university’s Web site said.