Doing my best work late at night

[Iwantittoend]

I've noticed that throughout my college career I've written much better papers at night when I'm under pressure rather than during the day. Right now I'm coming along on a paper slower than molasses and it's just painfully bad. My mind just can't function during the day for some reason. However, once the night hits, my mind just seems to open up more and I roll through papers. I don't know what it is.

 

Is anybody else like this?

[Ac143]

Yup, I was exactly like this in college. Always did my work at night. At work Im also alot better under pressure & last minute things...strange.

[sweetooth]

Yep!!! I can still pull off an A doing an all-nighter!!! Haha.

[thejigsup]

This skill does not transfer well to the real world of work.

[MissIndigo]

Yup, was that way then, and still that way now.

 

Fortunately, my mentor isn't a clockwatcher nor am I bound by having to work a certain number of hours each day, so I can pretty much set my own schedule.

[YabbaDabba]

Yeah, same here. I'm more of a night owl, too. I'd know about a paper for WEEKS in advance and I'd sorta/kinda work on it, but usually, I'd wait until right before it was due to do the "real" work. I don't know, there's something about that looming deadline that just motivates me, I guess.

 

Also, I'm a wanna-be writer, and I've noticed that some of my best writing comes late at night, when I'm a little tired. With that, I think it's because the more critical part of my brain--the bit more prone to second-guess--is "asleep" so I'm free to be more creative.

 

That's my theory, at least.

[Double J]

I agree with the thejigsup. I was the same way in college, seemingly thriving under last minute deadlines. But usually this doesn't translate well to the real world. Leaving work for the very last minute catches up with you sooner or later.

[mcwrestler]

I have always been that way on papers and stuff for school, but at work I do things immediately and on time and with great effort. I am not sure of the real difference. I just know that my best writing is done at night, although when my computer died I had to finish my senior thesis required to get my bachelors in the library during the day. I did well then, but it was always the day before a deadline when I had time against me. I do work well with deadlines and time pressures and I also work to maintain an active social life, so using the last minute method is effective. I still have a good GPA and will graduate this May with my bachelors and plan to start my MBA in Fall 2010 after I take a year off to work and get established in a new city. Maybe then I will finally feel challenged to do something.

[thejigsup]

I have a friend who is starving as a writer. Looks like she will have to get herself a REAL job. She's scared she won't be able to handle the schedule of working 8 hours a day, but I tell her I do 10-12 and still manage to have fun! She writes well, but everybody out here is a potential writer and the competition is very fierce!

[Blue Streak]

Welcome to my world. You need to introduce yourself to being self defendant as the 9-5 could very likely be an issue long term.

 

That said, something for you to seriously consider, are you driven, passionately, by your studies?? Do you work the things you are passionate about at night more than what you would focus on during the day?

[steelcitymstro]

I am still like this and I disagree with the notion that people who do their best work at night do so because they're procrastinators. I do my best work at night because the nighttime is peaceful, quiet and free of distraction. And while this does not always translate well to the working world, I can say that I have experience working in professional venues for both day shift and night shift--other than cutting into my social life, I enjoyed working night shift much more. Now, I do a lot of work at home for my job between 10-12pm because that's when I work the best...I don't procrastinate--I might work on stuff late at night 2 weeks before I actually need to.