If there is one thing college students complain about most, it’s how tired they are. And one big contributor of this (at least for me) is the fact that I have to get up for my 8 a.m. classes almost every morning of the school week. To get you through your 8 a.m.’s here are some do’s and don’ts:
DON’T: Press snooze
Trust me, hitting ‘snooze’ is your enemy. Snoozing, although appealing, will only make you run late. I recommend setting multiple alarms versus hitting the snooze button. Snoozing does not help you in waking up at a set time and instead adds random spurts of interrupted sleep. Take my advice: your morning will go much smoother if you avoid pressing snooze.
DO: Set multiple alarms
8 a.m. classes are hard enough to get up for as it is. Don’t make it harder on yourself by thinking you will wake up in time without an alarm. I have three alarms set for every early morning class. The first is enough time for me to get up, get dressed and get breakfast before class. The second is just enough time to get ready and look presentable. The third is 20 minutes before my class – just enough time to put on sweats and run to class. With this method, it allows me to have the choice every morning and to know that I won’t miss my class.
DON’T: Skip it
As appealing as sleeping in is, don’t let yourself get into that pattern. It is nice to sleep in. But if you allow yourself to sleep in once, you will allow yourself to think that it is OK to continue doing so. If you ever need to miss a class, you should make sure you have a very good reason or you could fall into a pattern. UW-Stevens Point professors take attendance seriously, and it will not help your reputation as a student or your grades to be skipping class. I know your bed is comfy, but you come to college to learn – so make sure you commit to it.
DO: Bring a snack or drink to class
If your professor allows it, bring a snack (if you don’t have time for breakfast) and drink to your 8 a.m. It will help keep you awake. I like to make a pot of coffee before heading to class and pour it into my mug, keeping it warm throughout the day. This way I have hot coffee all day, and I can also start waking up to fully function during my 8 a.m. If you read this blog, you also know there are plenty of places to get coffee on campus at UWSP. I also like to have a snack and a water bottle – just in case the coffee is not enough.
DON’T: Feel obligated to dress up (unless you want to or have a class presentation)
One of my favorite things about college is no one judges you for wearing comfy clothes to class. Therefore, if I am extremely tired, I can simply pull on sweats and a sweatshirt and walk to class. This works well for me because in college you often have breaks between your classes, so you can go back to your room and change your outfit if you really want to. This is what I do most mornings when I want more sleep. You may see me on campus in multiple outfits the same day! I tend to do whatever is easiest for me in the mornings.
DO: Pack your things the night before
I find it is much easier in the morning to leave for class if I packed my backpack the night before. You also won’t have to worry about finding all of your materials in the morning. Another thing to do is pick out your outfit. This way you have less to prepare in the morning and can have more time to sleep. This process also helps me in the mornings because my roommate in the residence hall tends to sleep in longer than I do. I try to get ready as quickly and quietly as possible to not wake her up.
The best thing to do in the case of the 8 a.m.’s is to know whether you are a morning person or not. Then, when you schedule classes, you can decide if 8 a.m. classes are the best idea for you. With spring semester registration coming up, I recommend you make that decision soon – so you can choose, or avoid, those 8 a.m.’s.
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