Do you know the song "No sleep 'til Brooklyn" by the Beastie Boys? If not, I don't recommend it (it's really not that good), but it is something I quote on a daily basis.
I like to change the lyrics to "No sleep 'til 2 AM," or "No sleep 'til homework's done," but most of the time it is "No sleep 'til after college."
Don't get me wrong though, my lack-of-sleeping habit is not a bad thing necessarily. The nights I spend up until 2 AM usually (read: always) involve me having a great, life-fulfilling conversation with a friend. Freshman year was all about the life-fulfilling, late night/early morning conversations. I would stay up until 5 AM some nights before my 8 AM class and just talk in the hallway or on a futon. That's the thing about Hope College: we like to talk...a lot. It's an intentional kind of talking, like the kind you have when you call an old friend after six months, or grab coffee with a friend who apparently wants to ring all your life stories out of you like she's juicing the orange of your life. It's normal here...and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I did get better at the whole going to sleep thing by sophomore year. After a year of five hours of sleep per night, a midnight bedtime sounds pretty good. And by junior year, I thought maybe I'd get the hang of it, but living in a cottage with ten of my best friends is almost worse for my shuteye than living in a dorm. See, my housemates and I have what we like to call FOMO — the fear of missing out. If we hear someone laughing anywhere in the house, or hanging out in the living room, or even talking behind a closed door, the FOMO takes over and we must go search for socializing. Hence, I still have a regular 2 AM bedtime.
I must qualify again that the reason I love staying up late is to talk intentionally with the people I love. I don't have much time in my day to sit down and chat, but when it's past midnight and homework is mostly done, there's nothing better than sitting down next to a friend. Here are some of my favorite/regular late night chat buddies:
My freshman yr roommate, Emily, & I — nothing compares to the late night conversations we had in my first year at Hope. She doesn't attend Hope anymore, but I wouldn't trade my experience rooming with her for the world.
My sophomore year roommate, Divya, and I. Div was a freshman when I was a sophomore, and I feel so blessed to have been able to share her first year here with her. Conversations with her were definitely worth the 5 AM bedtime. She's so wise!
My best friend, Bri, and I. Whether she likes it or not, I have spent countless nights laying on her futon and forcing her feelings out of her. We have gone through so much together since our first couple days at Hope, and I am so glad to have remained as inseparable as we were the first week.
My pseudo-sister, Meg, and I. Meg and I have been good friends since freshman year, and she was my RA sophomore year. I know whenever I have an important event or stressed-out week, Meg will text me or stop by my room, or leave an encouraging note. We are like family, and I appreciate our friendship so much.
My other best friend, Chris, and I. I know I can rely on Chris for a late night chat whenever I need him...or don't. Whether in my living room, or at Steak 'n Shake, Chris and I will talk about anything and everything. I am blessed to have a friend like him.
This is my complete opposite/exactly alike friend, Monica, and I. Monica is my most likely candidate for a late night talk (I think we've stayed up until 2 or 3 AM at least four nights this week). We like to psychoanalyze each other, talk about where we want to go in life, and of course, like any two 20 year old girls, talk about boys.
This is my close friend, Meredith, and I. Mere and I didn't get really close until this year, but you'd never know it. We have the same humor, which comes in handy for late night chats with Youtube in hand. We also go for bike rides daily, and get our chat in that way, too. I am so thankful to have gotten close to her this year. Junior year is not a time to settle into friendships — you never know who may be "your person" any given year!
My fellow art teacher, Leah, and I. I cannot begin to describe our friendship. We plan our classes together, study together, and feel pretty darn uncomfortable and lost when we're not attached at the hip. I am so thankful that I have someone to share my passion for Art Education with, and even more so that she's become one of my best friends. Our late nights are usually spent working last minute on a Powerpoint or studying in a library cubicle...but even when we don't have homework, I know I can count on her to sit on the couch with me and watch Law & Order, or just chat it up.
There you have it, my Justice League of late night troopers. With them, I completely fine with having no sleep 'til after college.