If I have learned one thing from being a full-time student and full-time journalist this year, it is this: One must constantly defend one's right to sleep in public.
Often lightly criticized by my friends, I am arguably not the best example of a full night's sleep and therefore must resort to other, often-mocked methods for full functionality. It is not that I don't want to sleep or can't sleep, it's just sometimes, as many students discover during this time of year, sleep simply does not fit into the schedule. So now I am finally joined in the late-night hours by those who have so often criticized my sleeping habits (or lack thereof), and I notice that while they have trained more than I have for the half-marathon in two weeks, I have the edge on them when it comes to function relatively normally on very (and I do mean very) little sleep and fall asleep gracefully in public areas. It is now my turn to chuckle at them as their heads slowly fall to the side in the early morning sunlight and that little bit of drool ebbs from the corner of their mouth. (I would hate to wake them.)
Nevertheless, this is a defense of public sleeping, not a mockery, and I do fully support partaking in the activity. We cannot all be picky on where we get our Z's, after all. As my fellow students and amigos begin the crunch of the final two weeks, let me provide a list of tools (albeit incomplete) necessary for when one suddenly and unexpectedly needs to sleep, as inspired by those sitting around me at The Commons right now who are finding themselves unable to stay awake.
1. Scout out possible areas while you are still fully conscious. In the Hustler office, we conveniently have a couch, but many of the lounge chairs in Sarratt will work just fine. As the weather gets warmer, lawns will also become available. Warning: Avoid areas where tour groups walk by. This is not because they are a distraction and could wake you up. This is because it is horribly awkward to listen to parents whisper about you as they walk by on their tour through Buttrick. (I feigned sleep. It was easier. I highly doubt any of those prospects will attend Vanderbilt. But if they couldn't support sleeping in public, maybe we didn't need them here in the first place.)
2. Backpack, tote, books. These will double as your pillow. Somehow much more comfortable than going pillowless and less awkward than the head nod. See below. A blanket or light jacket would be ideal for covering up, but we can't all live in the land of unicorns and magical fairies.
3. Flexibility. Perhaps one of my greatest accomplishments this year, I have developed the ability to sleep in any position. We cannot always choose the design of the space we publically sleep in. But we can choose the amount of sleep we get in our public space.
4. A sitting-up-asleep-in-class position. Often it is the head-nodders who set the stereotypical fall-asleep-in-public standard, which is unfortunate because lectures can at times be an excellent opportunity to grab a power nap. But one can fall asleep with grace, even sitting up. There is a trick to doing it in class, though. First, position your head behind the person in front of you in such a way that the professor cannot see you. Slide one elbow onto the desk or table and lean against the side. (I realize we do not all have desks created for this. If you have no side supports, adjust your body weight so you are not leaning in one direction or the other. This is key.) Position your chin in your hand so your head is facing up and would be in the proper position to pay attention if you were to actually be awake. (Note: This also ensures the mouth is closed so there is no embarrassing drool or snoring.) Finally, close your eyes. You did it! Practice often.
5. Reliable alarm. For sleeping in class, this means kindly asking the person beside or behind you to wake you up at the end should you still be asleep (and perhaps if they wouldn't mind sharing their notes, either). Otherwise, make sure your cellphone alarm is especially loud and annoying. What would be the point of staying awake all night studying if you slept through the final?
Bon chance to all my comrades as we begin this hellish time of year. Maybe we'll find ourselves napping together in Starbucks someday soon?
