How to pull an all-nighter

(An "all-nighter" doesn't mean you have to go all night without sleep... it's about staying up until rather late and being productive for a solid 6-10 hours. Doesn't matter if you're studying for a test or working on a project or homework. (We'll call all of it "studying" for simplicity, though.))

First off, you should really avoid this. And that's coming from someone who does these like a hobby.

If you must though, don't go in so tired that you're fighting sleep immediately. Consider getting in a quick 1 to 2 hour nap beforehand, prepping you for the long night ahead.

Game plan
If time were on your side, you wouldn't have to stay up so late, so make sure you're not wasting what little time you have. You should plan this out at least somewhat. Decide what you are going to study, how you are going to study, what you should bring with you, where you'll study, etc.

Location
This will vary from person to person. If you are in need of silence, you have a few options:
 * Upper floors of the library. 3rd floor and up are quiet floors. There are cubicles on 3rd floor west, and desks scattered throughout the rest of the library.
 * Your major-specific building. I am an ECE, and I haven't had any difficulty grabbing an empty conference room in Klaus (nothing like a room where an entire wall is a whiteboard). Keep in mind that not all buildings permit all-nighters.
 * Your room, but only if you can isolate yourself from distractions. You don't want roommates interrupts your studying, nor do you want to be tempted by TV or games or Facebook.
 * There are random rooms and areas scattered all over campus that you might find available, it's just a matter of getting to them. This may not agree with the building policy so they won't be discussed here.

If you're working with a group, consider:
 * Your major building. Chances are your lab is a great place to work.
 * The library, floors 1-2. There are lots of spaces for groups to work together, but it fills up quickly.
 * Clough
 * Study lounges in residence halls. They're often unused, and they're blissfully distraction-free while being close enough that you can go "home" for a soda or something.

Things to bring

 * Study material – Make sure you have everything you might need for the evening; you don't want to have to interrupt your studying to get something you forgot. This is where it might be nice to have electronic copies of your texts, as you might be responsible for a few classes worth of information this night.
 * Coffee, energy drinks – Depending on how long you plan on going, consume one cup of coffee or one energy drink every 3-4 hours, or every 2-3 if you are no stranger to the effects of caffeine.
 * Snacks/sustenance – You're going to get hungry if you plan on staying up for the next 8-24 hours, just don't go with candy/sweets. We don't want a sugar crash on top of your caffeine crash.
 * Headphones – If you like to study with music, and you are going to be with other people, use some common courtesy and listen through headphones. Other people don't need to be distracted by your music.
 * Pillow and/or blankets – A true all-nighter is not for the faint of heart; it can bring down even the mightiest of mental fortitudes. A quick nap can even be beneficial, allowing your brain to rest and absorb all that knowledge you just consumed. Best to sleep in comfort if you must, it gets awfully cold in campus buildings sometimes.
 * Rest period activities – You're going to want/have to take breaks. Bring a book/sudoku puzzle or whatever. Something that can occupy you for a short period.

How to study

 * Prioritize! Whether you're working on one class or 4, set a goal for what you need to accomplish, and work out a plan for getting it done. If you're working on multiple classes, make sure you're getting the most important things done, and not wasting precious time on 5-point homeworks. Subdivide tasks and watch the clock, so you don't get stuck on something difficult and lose track of how much time you've spent on it.
 * Consider the Pomodoro technique, where you study for fixed periods followed by a short break. For example, 25 minutes of solid work, and 5 minutes of break. There are very few people that can endure a marathon study session. As the night goes on and your attention span tapers, shorten the work period but keep your breaks constant or lengthen them somewhat.
 * Reward yourself for success; hold off on the snacks or drinks until you've gotten enough work done that you can be proud of it. A cup of hot coffee or tea can help you relax, and rejuvenate you, and is a nice reward to yourself for accomplishing a mid-way goal. For a longer break, you might even take half an hour for a small meal.
 * You don't want to pull an all-nighter for a class that you hate or is boring, because once you get to that 50-100+ of pages read all you'll be thinking about is sleep. Try to bring something engaging: homeworks to re-do, sample tests, etc.

r/Gatech's Guide to Socially Acceptable Seating

 * If someone wants to join your table, let them.
 * If you are studying by yourself, don't sit at a table meant for more than one person unless there is no other seating available. Welcome people to join you at the table.
 * If you are trying to save a seat for a friend, go ahead, however, do not violate the first law.
 * If you are trying to save an entirely separate table for a group of friends, DO NOT!
 * Don't leave your stuff on a table for the purpose of coming back to it hours later.
 * Sleeping in a booth before 1 am is strictly prohibited. (Coffee machine on the first floor) Suck it up!

Some things to keep in mind

 * Do this with other people (misery loves company), but choose wisely. Study with people that are in it for the long haul that you are, and not someone who is there to be surfing the web and doing other distracting things. As you teach others, you strengthen your own understanding, and other people can provide different perspectives on concepts to help you learn. It'll also make it considerably less boring.
 * The longer you sit still the more your body slows down. You can work standing, at a high desk, or get up and take a quick walk every once in a while to keep yourself from getting too sleepy.
 * If you are studying alone, a change of scenery can be a good thing. Plan bathroom breaks along with migrations to different study areas.
 * It won't work for everyone, and should be used sparingly, but consider the "caffeine nap". It's like a power nap, but on steroids: At the onset of that moment when you start to drift off, consume your caffeine dosage, and immediately sleep, but no longer than 15-20 minutes. Any longer could lead to sleep inertia. The combined efforts have been shown effective in clearing your body of adenosine, a chemical that brings about the Z's.
 * Know when to call it quits. At some point, your should recognize that your efforts vs diminishing returns are actually resulting in a negative net yield. Revive yourself and try again with a fresh mind, and certainly don't do this to prove that you can.
 * If you do not want to walk to or from your dorm at night, call a Stingerette. They are available between 6PM and 7AM, and can pick you up anywhere on campus.