Today’s post was written by library student assistant Sol Lewites. Sol is from Nicaragua and majoring in biology at LMU, with a special interest in molecular biology, genetics, and bioethics. She is a rising sophomore and has been working at the library since the start of her first year as an undergraduate.
The Long Night Against Procrastination (LNAP) is an innovative approach towards studying for finals that motivates students to finish their last few assignments and participate in fun activities while they’re at it. I had the pleasure of being part of this activity this year and witnessed first-hand how helpful it is for everyone who attends.
LNAP started off by giving out gift bags with study supplies and library-themed keepsakes such as fidget cubes and fidget spinners, which really warmed everyone’s hearts. People were pleasantly surprised at receiving a gift bag when they checked in and expressed their sincere gratitude and appreciation. Writing tutors from the Academic Resource Center were ready to help anyone who needed extra help, private study rooms were booked in advance so that anyone who needed a very quiet work space or a one-on-one session with a tutor could utilize them. A schedule was prepared for the night which included various activities such as bubble wrap crushing and a yoga break after an hour of hard work. Students who came in would write down what they were working on for the night on a white board. Some of the most popular tasks were theology papers or scripts.
The atmosphere, although heavy with the unavoidable stress of finals week, was joyous and filled with positivity as everyone motivated each other to work a little harder for just a little longer. After all, the Long Night Against Procrastination is all about channeling all that stress from Finals Week into a positive outcome: the culmination of the school year along with your papers and exams.
Free food and snacks also motivated everyone to get through their assignments before the night was over. During the pizza break, I was able to talk to some participants, all of which commented on the helpfulness of the event. When asked how she heard about the event, one student said that she saw it on the library’s Instagram; another said her roommate has attended the event for the past two years so she decided to check it out; and a few said they found out about it through the posters at the library. Everyone got a lot closer as the night went on, and during the yoga break where everyone did some “chair-yoga”, laughs filled the room and washed the stress away. The final activity, crushing bubble wrap, helped de-stress all of us; there’s something about crushing bubble wrap that is apparently satisfying to everyone.
Overall, the Long Night Against Procrastination was extremely successful at providing students (myself included) with just the right number of breaks, study periods and food that were necessary for all of those projects to be completed. I am certain that I will be attending LNAP next year and the years to come as an undergrad at LMU. My favorite part of this event was how cooperative and dedicated to being productive everyone was; even as more people came in, the room remained perfectly silent, except for the tutors helping students with their theses or papers. If you are ever looking for a quiet place to get some work done while having fun in the process, you should definitely RSVP for the Long Night Against Procrastination next year!
Thank you, Sol, for sharing your experience and reflections with us!
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