What do professors feel about students who sleep overnight in their department?

[Simfish]

It's a pretty common topic at phdcomics. :p

But anyways, what do they feel about them? Do they consider it a positive thing or a negative thing? Certain administrators HATE this (well, certain people who hate "weird" people would hate this, or I guess, people who are obsessed with keeping their department "clean"). Most of your fellow undergrads/grad students will simply find it funny. Others might think that it makes you smell. But what about professors? might some of them even like you more for it (since it's something they can always joke about and convinces some of them that you're REALLY into your research)? Physics departments often already have many "weird" grad students in them, although astronomy students seems to be more neurotypical.

 

[lisab]

Simfish, I'll be honest...this question made me laugh .

Truth is, if you have ask dozen profs this question, you'll probably get a dozen different opinions.

 

[mathwonk]

This reminds of being a grad student and hoping that not combing my hair might make me look smarter, sort of like einstein. what do students think of professors who sleep in their offices?

 

[MathematicalPhysicist]

I never ever combed my hair...

Not when it's short and not when it's mighty long.

 

[Office_Shredder]

Whether you sleep at the department because you were working late or partying late probably evokes different reactions

 

[Theorem.]

Guess I'll have to test it out

 

[physics girl phd]

As an undergrad, we had a study lounge with a couch... and I think you were expected to eventually spend a few nights there (probably when experiments were running from thesis research or some of the labs for an "advanced lab" course). I guess ditto for my grad school too (but the couches weren't as comfy).

Personally... I think an occasional sleepover, for this or during exam-time, is thought of as ok (probably even by administration. Better to sleepover in a locked academic building than get mugged (or worse) on your way home at 2 - 3AM.

Doing it routinely... using the department (or library) as a residence over your apartment... well, that's another matter entirely. Don't move a mattress in and store it underneath to your optics experiment. Don't start to have your mail delivered to the office. You still need to have a real "home" and go home to it on a regular basis.

 

[QuantumP7]

Doing it routinely... using the department (or library) as a residence over your apartment... well, that's another matter entirely. Don't move a mattress in and store it underneath to your optics experiment. Don't start to have your mail delivered to the office. You still need to have a real "home" and go home to it on a regular basis.

Or taking a sponge-bath in the department's bathroom.

 

[Simfish]

Doing it routinely... using the department (or library) as a residence over your apartment... well, that's another matter entirely. Don't move a mattress in and store it underneath to your optics experiment. Don't start to have your mail delivered to the office. You still need to have a real "home" and go home to it on a regular basis.

Hahaha, that comment was very funny. :D

Yeah, I'd still come home regularly. My preference might be to sleep in lab 75% of the time, and at home 25% of the time (definitely returning home every week or so). But I'm not planning to bring any blankets or pillows with me (since I don't need them). If I ultimately do that, I might as well do a Reddit IAmA on it. I wouldn't do it for the fame though (and I'd prefer to be unnoticed). I just hate commuting (and wasting time).

My physics building actually has showers in the basement. Although I don't see many people sleeping overnight there (I don't know if it's uncommon). The undergrad library is more popular to sleep in.

 

[story645]

Don't move a mattress in and store it underneath to your optics experiment.

The robotics lab at my school actually has a thin cot type mattress guys use for overnights, and at some point (might still be around) there was a thick blanket in my lab for sleepovers. I did it once, then got an apartment close enough to campus that it makes more sense to walk home. *shurgs*

Truth is, if you have ask dozen profs this question, you'll probably get a dozen different opinions.

It also may depend on the department. My roommates in architecture, and there it's so common to stay overnight that some students keep sleeping bags lying around the studio and it'd be fairly common to walk through a studio and see kids sleeping on shelfs. In engineering, I think it's also fairly common for senior design students to pull an all-nighter or two when the project is due.

 

[ThatTallGirl]

In our department, none of us stay overnight, but it's not uncommon for students to only go home for 2-3 hours to take a nap, shower, and eat breakfast. Also, we have two couches in our study room (right next to the senior lab), and there's often one of us napping on them at any given time. I think one of the juniors keeps a blanket up there for that purpose... Our professors are OK with it as long as we don't stay overnight more than like once a semester.

 

[Shackleford]

A buddy of mine's house is like over an hour away from the university. He has on more than occasion slept in the library and taken a shower in the "Rec Center" since his house is so far away. lol.

 

[fasterthanjoao]

I might be a bit of a buzzkill, but I would say that unless there's some fantastic reason like a 1 day deadline for a paper submission or something crazy, actually sleeping in the office just shows you're inefficient and disorganised. I've been around when experiments have been forced to run overnight (due to when the machinery gets booked, or somesuch scenario) and it obviously can't be helped. But a regular day? No thanks.

 

[fasterthanjoao]

Simfish, I'll be honest...this question made me laugh .

me too, me too.

 

[cristo]

I think it's crazy to plan to regularly sleep in your office. You shouldn't be that disorganised with your time that you cannot afford to go home, to eat, or to sleep normally.

 

[atyy]

Maybe that they are being frugal?

Presumably membership at the campus gym for the shower facilities is cheaper than rent?

I've heard that the biology building at MIT has showers.

I think it'd be against the law to use the emergency showers. On the other hand, those have to be checked every few weeks, don't they? This way the prof won't have to worry about that. (Poor math profs - I don't think they have emergency showers.)

 

[discrete*]

I see an inordinate number of people sleeping in the chairs and brushing their teeth in the bathrooms at my university. I've always found that quite odd.

 

[Simfish]

LMAO has anyone used the emergency showers for showering?

there was once a circulating rumor that I used the showers in the physics building (but that was wrong since I hate cold water)

 

[atyy]

Another reason I've never used the emergency showers for normal showers is that in most places they are in public corridors, and I don't usually shower fully clothed.

Anyway, my best work was done at a time when I slept in the lab maybe half the days of the week for a period of 2 to 3 months. I'd always use the gym showers, never the emergency showers! But I wouldn't recommend doing that long term. And I certainly wouldn't like to work for a guy who demanded that sort of commitment.

 

[Pengwuino]

This reminds of being a grad student and hoping that not combing my hair might make me look smarter, sort of like einstein. what do students think of professors who sleep in their offices?

"... that figures."

I woke a professor up once from a nap by knocking on his door. It was great.

Unless you live 30 minutes to an hour away or as some have said, have something that absolutely requires you to stay overnight, I think it's silly. The hour or 2 it takes to go home and come back the next day is probably far better than having to sleep on a school couch or something and have to walk around in your same clothes the next day. I NEVER pull all-nighters.

 

[cristo]

Maybe that they are being frugal?

Presumably membership at the campus gym for the shower facilities is cheaper than rent?

If the reason is to save money then that's pathetic - grad students get paid a decent amount of money. If the reason is that you don't have time to go home then, to be honest, you're doing something wrong!