The first week back on campus, I felt like a spring chicken. The morning light reflected off of the Smith Campus Center outside my 5th floor window a little after 5:30 in the morning and I was instantly wide awake. I’ve always been a morning person, and the genetic sequencing in my LS1b class last semester only provided further proof that I was genetically predisposed to have the “morning person” personality.
I hate coffee.
“WOAH, ARE YOU EVEN A COLLEGE STUDENT?!”
Yes, I am indeed a college student who does not like coffee at all. Growing up, my mother always warned me that if I drank coffee, it would stunt my growth and I would consequently stay short forever. I’m still only 5’4”, but this aversion to coffee grew into a gag reflex whenever I tasted it. Being a morning person, I feel completely awake and cheery without an ounce of coffee in my system, even at 5:30am.
College has caught up to me now and I now wake up an hour later than I used to, but the mornings are still my favorite time of the day. There’s a sense of pride that comes along with the fact that I’ve accomplished a good number of tasks before most of my peers have completed their REM sleep cycles. There’s a sense of calmness, a sense of peace that overcomes me at 7:30 in the morning when I head to the dining hall for breakfast and there’s barely a soul on the streets. The sun shines brightly ahead of me as if to welcome me to the start of a new day and I have the urge to think positively.
The dining hall is nice and quiet just as it opens every morning and is a perfect place and time to respond to emails and get organized for a busy day. Whether alone or with a breakfast club of sorts, I can’t deny that breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Even if I was feeling a bit groggy before, eating breakfast makes me feel full and awake and ready to take on the day.
I tend to take a more leisurely stroll through Harvard Yard as I head to my 9am classes because it lets me take in the serenity of a quiet yard and the crispness in the air tingles as I prepare for a day of learning and making the most out of my Harvard experience. I see a squirrel dart up a tree nearby and I can tell that we both know today is going to be a good day.