BY EMMA GOLDBERG

We’ve all been there- a day of classes and extracurriculars (and if we’re being honest, procrastination) leads us to spend the night hours churning out work, caught between the temptation to finally rest and the pressure to keep up with ceaseless schoolwork. The sleep schedule of a college student might be variable, but its constant cycle of randomness keeps us intrigued. In an effort to study the common late-night gator’s mental state, we interviewed studiers at the Hume Study Room and diners at Chomp It, the hot spot for burgers and tater tots until 3 am.

Early, Early Bird Breakfast

When asked what he was doing at Chomp It at 3 am, freshman Ibrahim replied, “because I can’t wake up in time for the breakfast swipe.” His friend Aniket, an international student from India, agreed, adding that Chomp It has not disappointed as one of his first impressions of American food at UF.

New Traditions

Wellington Soccer celebrates at Chomp It after a winning game.

After a winning game, the Wellington Intramural Soccer Team stops by Chomp It for a celebratory meal, noting that the late-night stop has become a sort of tradition. The teammates swear by the spicy chicken sandwich and “fries, but with extra seasoning” to appease their post-game appetite.

Chomp It Serenades

When discussing their favorite memories from 2 am customers, Chomp It employees Stephanie and John both had stories about in-store performances.

Chomp It employee Stephanie says the restaurant’s late night hours are always interesting.

“I was having a bad night, and there was a dude who asked me how he could make it better,” Stephanie told us. “I said he could sing me a song.” Now every time the insomniac performer takes his talents to the fast food hot spot, he and Stephanie break into song, traversing genres from rock to rap.

When a diner walked in with a ukulele in hand, John couldn’t help but ask to play. What began as a few strums turned into a full performance of Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours,” surprising diners and employees. “No one here knows that I sing, but it’s what I do, so it was a lot of fun,” he said.

John says working at Chomp It has led to lots of memorable moments.

Working Hard, Hardly Working

Open 24/7 and situated between Hume East and West, the Hume Study Room offers a perfect place for honors students needing a change of scenery for their late-night studies.

Rushi says he relies on Starbucks to get through the long nights.

Rushi, a first-year business major, was studying for his programming exam at 2:30 am when we caught up with him. “It’s loud on my floor, and this is a quiet place. Probably gonna be here for a few more hours.” We asked how much sleep he gets on an average night, to which he responded, “not enough.”

Freshmen Ewa and Hugh were also getting work done pretty late in the Hume study room. “He’s trying to help me learn math but I’m eating chocolate cake instead,” Ewa explained. Like many of the other students we interviewed, her sleep schedule is rough. She told us, “I basically sleep 30 hours on the weekends and one hour a night during the week.”

Friends Ewa and Hugh working on Calc in the Hume Study Room at 2 am.