TOPIC
RC Sleeping Habits
The Class of 2008 has just finished their first few weeks of school and is learning all about effective time management. As we all know, sleep is one of the first things to suffer as we attempt to manage our newfound HBS responsibilities. The Harbus asked second year students about their RC year Sleeping Habits.
QUESTION 1:
On average, how many hours per weeknight did you sleep during first semester RC year?
6% – 8 Hours or More
80.9% – 5 to 7 Hours
13.1% – 2 to 4 Hours
0% – 1 Hour or Less
QUESTION 2:
On average, how many hours per weeknight did you sleep during second semester RC year?
14% – 8 Hours or More
78% – 5 to 7 Hours
7.5% – 2 to 4 Hours
0.5% – 1 Hour or Less
QUESTION 3:
On average, how many hours per weeknight did you sleep during your summer internship?
58.1% – 8 Hours or More
40.9% – 5 to 7 Hours
1.0% – 2 to 4 Hours
0.5% – 1 Hour or Less
QUESTION 4:
How many hours of sleep per weeknight do you think you need to stay healthy?
58.1% – 8 Hours or More
40.9% – 5 to 7 Hours
1.0% – 2 to 4 Hours
0% – 1 Hour or Less
QUESTION 5:
Please share any advice you have for the Class of 2008 regarding sleeping habits.
Do your cases for the next day right after class. Do not go home and take a nap. If you go home and mess around you’ll end up starting them at 9 or 10 p.m. and will end up staying up until 2 or 3 a.m.
You can sleep when you’re dead (i.e. after your upcoming stint as an IB is over).
Get as much sleep as you need to feel rested. If it means fewer hours at the bar or, heaven forbid reading cases, then so be it.
Get six hours a night as a bare minimum and get at least one night over the weekend with 8-10 hours of sleep. That will help you catch up and live through the following week!
You can sleep when you get old! Enjoy RC year and make sure not to do too much work!
Stay in control, bear in mind a lot of the pressure is fake.
Don’t get caught up in the fear of missing out, just go to the things you really want to go to.
Cases stop making sense after 1 a.m. – The marginal value of an added 15 minutes past the first 1.5 hours on a case is an exponential decay function – In case you stick with it, classes the next morning will make no sense anyway – Incomplete is good.
Anything more than 2 hours per case is a waste.
Having a long distance relationship will definitely eat into your sleeping hours-before you realize it you’ll be spending countless hours on the phone. If possible, make your significant other move to Boston (or change your significant other for a new one in Boston).
Staying fresh and engaged in class is far more important than stepping into class thinking you know the “right” answer. Your classmates and professor will teach you far more than a textbook or case ever could. If it’s past midnight and you’re still trying to figure it out, let it go and get some sleep!
Naps are very useful if not unavoidable since many cases will knock you out by page 5.
Prep one class well per day and try to participate in that class. Relax on the others…just skim the cases and hope the odds work in your favor.
For me, sleeping works best when sticking to the same time to go to sleep and to wake-up.
Substitute exercise, not caffeine, for sleep.
It’s a looooong semester and the cases just keep on coming so you better start pacing yourself now.
