Late Night Against Procrastination fuels students to successful studying

To kick off the start of SFU’s spring finals season, the Student Learning Commons (SLC) invited students to attend their Late Night Against Procrastination (LNAP) to buckle down and get some work done while attending workshops, study breaks, and fueling up with plenty of food. The event was held on all three campuses: the third floor of the WAC Bennett Library in Burnaby, the Yosef Wosk SLC room at the Fraser Library in Surrey, and the Yosef Wosk SLC room at the Belzberg Library in Vancouver.

     Founded in 2006, the SLC consists of a team of graduate students and undergraduate volunteers overseen by university staff who provide one-on-one academic writing and learning consultations.  

     The event was a spin-off of the Long Night Against Procrastination held by other North American institutions, which itself is a spin-off of the Lange Nacht Der Aufgeschobenen Hausarbeiten (of similar meaning) originally held in German institutions.

     However, unlike other LNAP events, which literally continue through the entire night into the next day, the event held by the SLC ended at midnight. According to event organizer Poh Tan, this was done purposely, as the SLC does not promote the student-ritual of late nights fuelled with caffeine and junk food. While they understand that this is the habit of many students due to work or life arrangements outside of school, the organizers wanted to stress the value of sleep and good nutrition to support learning and deeper understanding of the material.

     The evening at the Burnaby campus started off quietly, and more students filed in as the night progressed. Over 40 students attended the event in total. Each participant received a goodie package which included information about the schedule, anti-procrastination notes for the night, SLC-branded Post-its, a fidget cube, and a coupon for Menchie’s. Snacks and dinner for the attendees was provided as well.

     Tan, who is a PhD student pursuing her second PhD with the faculty of education, started the evening by introducing herself and the team, emphasizing that the goal of the evening was “to help [students] achieve academic success.”

     University staff was present throughout the event. Many of the library’s staff from the Student Learning Commons came out to help with research questions and writing.

Along with providing a supportive studying environment, the event featured research and writing workshops such as citation, proofreading, and exam strategies.

     The workshops varied from the usual studying tips to some more unique workshops, such as “Rejuvenating Yoga for Hardworking Study Muscles” and “Energize with Hawaiian Hula Dancing.”

     Tips provided during the workshops for students included setting up a “check-in system” of family members and friends to help keep themselves accountable for the goals they set, keeping a journal of work productivity and task-lists, critical reading strategies, a crash course on effective theses, and the benefits of study breaks and stretching.

     The SLC is already planning an LNAP event for this fall, and looks forward to having even more attendees from students and faculty of all academic endeavours and levels.