Survival Mode!!!

Avoiding All Nighters to Achieve A’s!

Temple UniversityRussell Conwell Learning Center

Office of Senior Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies

Presentation Objectives• To understand the physical and

mental effects of pulling “all nighters”.

• To learn effective task management skills to increase productivity.

• To learn efficient study skills and how to change poor study habits.

• To apply task management and study skills to your current schedule.

Why is Sleep so Important? • Sleep facilitates the growth and rejuvenation

of the immune, nervous, skeletal and muscular systems…so sleep is essential for survival!– Sleep allows your cells to rejuvenate and rid

themselves of waste, thus allowing one to stay physically and mentally healthy.

• There are two main categories of sleep: – REM sleep: rapid eye movement sleep

• Accounts for 20-25% of total sleep time. • One typically experiences an average of 4-5

phases of REM sleep a night– Non-REM sleep

• Muscles are not paralyzed during non-REM sleep

• Dreaming is rare during this stage of sleep

• One must experience both stages of sleep fully in order to benefit from a full night’s sleep.

Average amount of sleep per day:

Newborn up to 18 hours 1–12 months: 14–18 hours1–3 years: 12–15 hours 3–5 years: 11–13 hours 5–12 years: 9–11 hours Adolescents” 9–10 hoursAdults: 7–8 (+) hours Pregnant women: 8 (+) hours

All Nighters? Sleep Deprivation and Your Brain.

Sleep deprivation has little affect on your mood. You may feel healthy and alert but the

following areas are affected by lack of sleep:

• Sleep deprivation causes your memory and frontal lobe function to be impaired.

• Your frontal lobe is where abstract thinking and higher learning takes place.

• Your frontal lobe also controls the following functions:– Verbal fluency– Creativity– Executive function

• Sleep deprivation significantly reduces your productively and alertness.– As little as one and a half hours less of

sleep could affect your productivity by 30%.

Did You Know?

 Studies have shown that after 19 consecutive hours or more without sleep, performance on tests is equivalent to that at a blood 

alcohol concentration of 0.1%. 

In other words, if you pull an all-nighter, your cognition is no better than if you were legally 

drunk!

Click the link below to watch a few sleep deprivation videos

Sleep Deprivation Video #1Sleep Deprivation Video and Impact on Grades

HOW DO I GET MORE SLEEP???MANAGE YOUR TIME!

Improve Sleep to Improve Grades

How much time do we actually have: There are 168 hours in one week:

If you have 15 credits, you will spend 15 hours a week in class. Study two hours for every hour you spend in class. If you spend three hours a week in class, you

should study six hours a week for that class. You should sleep 7-8 hours a day in order to be a healthy, functioning adult. You should budget in at least 1 hour a day to take care of hygiene/health needs. You should budget in at least 3 hours a day to eat (1 hour for each meal) If you work a part-time job, those hours should be budgeted in as well (10-15 hours a week) Don’t forget travel time! (1 hour a day)

168-141= 27 hours of extra time!!!!!

While it seems that college provides you with a lot of “free” time, when time is managed appropriately, you will be busy-

And successful!

Collegiate Time Management

• Create a plan

• Break all assignments into smaller units

• Do the hardest assignment/tasks first!

It’s All About the ABCs! Create a “to do” list.

– After creating a list of what must be done for one day, one week, one month etc. prioritize the list with A being the most important, B the second most important and so on…

– Focus on the assignments that you have labeled as “A” assignments such as a history paper due this week or an upcoming Chemistry test rather than laundry or facebook.

– Avoid time wasters…think of your study time as a job…would you pay yourself for what you are doing right now?

ComputerTV

Video gamesSleep

Social ActivitiesFACEBOOK!

I MANAGED MY TIME…HOW ABOUT STUDY SKILLS? 

Form a Study Group

Form a Study Group• Form a study group with actively

engaged students who have similar academic goals but different learning styles• This will help challenge your

current thinking.• Keep the group small.

• 5-6 people is ideal for a study group.

• Study in an environment conducive to learning• RCLC • Library • Quiet Coffee Shop

Cooperative Learning• Ask each other questions

• Teach each other

• Compare notes

• Brainstorm test questions

• Create a mind map together

Review!• Review after every class.

• This allows information to be moved from your short term memory to your long term memory.

• Reviews only need to be 5 to 10 minutes long.

• Conduct longer reviews every week.• Review each subject once a week for an

hour or more.• Look at assigned readings, notes and

PowerPoint slides.

• Utilize review tools• Mind Map Summary Sheets• To do lists • Flash cards• Charts and graphs

How to Use Mind Maps• Develop a list of what you

need to study• List reading assignments by

chapter, PowerPoint slides, and additional material such as movies or research articles.

• Create a mind map from memory.

• Fill in the blanks on your mind map from your notes and class readings

Mind Maps

TEST TAKING SKILLS

Preparing for Tests• Over learn for your exam

– Don’t just skim your PowerPoint slides! Many professors expect you to prepare individually outside of classroom, so read and study from both the PowerPoint slides and the text!

• Become familiar with the anticipated test.– Understand the format of the test you are going to take. Will it be

short answer, essay, or multiple choice. By knowing this information, you will be able to anticipate what types of questions will be asked.

• Budget your time on an exam– Answer the questions you know well first, and then answer questions

that take more time.

Multiple Choice Exams

• Read the question and alternative answers with an awareness of qualifier words

• Use the process of elimination and selection to answer questions.

• Read all the alternatives.

• Your first guess is your best guess.

Essay Exams

• Make sure you understand what is being asked.

• Create an outline from a brainstormed list.

• Write the essay focusing on handwriting and proper grammar

• Read what you have written.

Additional Resources

• Russell Conwell Learning Center tutors and study groups

• MSRC/Writing Center

• Professors and Advisors

• Librarians

Now that we’re prepared…let’s take a test!

#1 What are the two types of sleep? #2 What is the purpose of sleep? #3 What mental capabilities are inhibited by a lack of sleep? #4 Going 19+ hours without sleep is comparable to having a

BAC of what? #5 How many hours a week should you study for each class? #6 What are the ABC’s of academic planning? #7 How many people should be a in a study group? #8List the review tools mentioned in this workshop. #9 List two strategies one can use on a multiple choice test. #10 List two strategies one can use on an essay test. #11 Develop a to do list utilizing the ABC method.

Answers 1 REM sleep and Non-REM sleep 2 Sleep allows our cells to rid themselves of waste and allows our

bodies to rejuvenate. 3 memory, verbal fluency, creativity, executive function, higher

learning 4 .10% 5 2 hours for every hour you are in class. 6 hours a week for one

class. 6 The ABCs are a way to prioritize your work so that you finish the

most important work (A’s) first and then work your way down from there. 7 5-6 people are optimal for a study group 8 Mind maps, to do lists, flash cards, charts and graphs 9 See PP for various strategies 10 See PP for various strategies 11 Determined by individual