Eamon McCarthy
Contributing Writer
Being a freshman in college, approaching three months into school, I now truly understand the difference between late nights and whatever I did in high school. The glowing screen of a computer at 2 a.m. in a freshman dorm is a common sight at schools across the country, and nowadays, with the most distracting, dopamine-driven escapes, first-year students push bedtimes far beyond what healthy sleep schedules allow.
In college, sleep deprivation has slowly become the unfortunate side effect of hard work, turned into a strange status symbol. Between adjusting to a collegiate academic schedule, managing newfound independence and engaging in social activities, sleep is frequently the first thing we sacrifice. As first-years, however, we so often fail to see the value in sleep and do not get enough rest to use it as a tool. In college especially, it seems that pulling through on less and less sleep is now seen more as proof of dedication than as the harmful practice it is.
The transition to college life can often disrupt the structured routines we, as first-year students, had grown so accustomed to in high school, causing us to lose our trajectory. The responsibility for classes, due dates and assignments has all been altered. Late-night study sessions and scrolling often lead to mornings filled with dread or late wake-ups. But again, as I often do, I feel proud to “push through” these self-inflicted sleepless nights.
The reality, however, is that lack of sleep and chronic sleep deprivation erode our cognitive performance, memory and mental well-being. Lack of sleep is often the unseen burden that weighs down so many students across the country, undermining their productivity without them realizing it. When waking up for a 9 a.m. lecture on very little sleep, the mind has to fight an uphill battle to learn new material that may already be challenging. By trading sleep for extra hours of studying late at night, the brain does not maintain the same level of productivity and memory retention, often making the work harder and take longer.
I myself have tried and will continue to work on improving my mindset to be more conscious of rest, which starts with good work habits during the day. Getting assignments done early, focusing on them well before they are due and keeping a routine all help students improve their productivity and get to bed earlier.
There will always be the inevitable late nights, and there are some we cannot do anything about. Still, by maintaining productivity and avoiding procrastination, we can end the 2 a.m. grind culture and get some more rest.
