As a college student, you’re bound to have at least one early morning class during your college career. You can try your hardest to avoid them, but they are inevitable. One of your required courses will be offered at only early times, and you’ll have no choice but to enroll in that early class.
I know what you’re thinking: waking up that early is going to be terrible. You may have woken up at 7 a.m. for high school, but college is different– getting out of bed for an 8 a.m. in college is 1,000 times harder.
If you’re wondering how to survive and ace your 8 a.m., then I have your back. Early morning classes aren’t ideal, but they aren’t as bad as they seem, especially with these tips! Here’s how to handle early morning classes in college:
Go to bed at a reasonable time
If you have to wake up at the crack of dawn, it makes sense for you to go to bed early to ensure that you have a good night’s sleep.
There’s nothing better than feeling well-rested and ready to take on the day in the morning. Plus, having enough sleep will make you more attentive and focused in class, which will only improve your grades.
Pack Your Backpack the night before
Put whatever books you’ll need, along with essentials supplies for your class, in your backpack the night before. That way when you get up in the morning, with your mind all groggy and not fully woken up, you eliminate the risk of forgetting anything you need!
Packing your backpack the night before also saves you some time in the morning, just in case you’ve overslept and are running late (which will, unfortunately, happen to you once or twice!).
Don’t Go out The Night before
If your friends are planning to go out the night before your early morning class, don’t go with them. I know its hard, but don’t give in to the temptation.
You’re way better off staying in and being well-rested, rather than staying up till all hours of the night and getting little to no sleep. You simply won’t be able to function properly in the morning with a few hours of sleep, which can impact your performance in the class.
But, we’re all college students, and sometimes we do give in to the temptation to go out. Although I don’t recommend it, I’ve gone out the night before my 8 a.m. and somehow managed to survive.
If you do plan on going out the night before, follow these tips: 1) before you leave to go out, put water and snack by your bedside table to have when you get home. 2) Set your alarms before you go out so you don’t forget. 3) Try to end the night as early as possible. 4) Don’t go crazy and drink plenty of water. 4) Take off your makeup before you go to bed. Best of luck!
Wake up 45 mins to an hour before class starts
If you have an early morning class, allow yourself enough time to wake your mind up and get ready in the morning. I know it may be hard to wake up even earlier than you anticipated, but trust me it will help you so much!
Giving yourself enough time in the morning also eliminates the chance of you showing up late to class, which you definitely don’t want to do.
Set One Alarm & Get Up
As hard as it may seem, only set one alarm in the morning.
I know what you’re thinking: what if I sleep through it? Isn’t it risky to only set one?
Trust me, it’s not risky and you won’t sleep through it if the alarm is loud enough. You can even purchase one of those vibrating alarms to place under your pillow if you’re nervous about not hearing it.
You should only set one alarm because setting multiple gives you an excuse to stay in bed and deters you from getting up and ready in the morning. It’ll also annoy your roommate!
Wash Your Face and Pick Out An Outfit
You want to look put together for your early morning class. Don’t be the person that looks like they literally just rolled out of bed.
Putting yourself together also simply helps you feel better and ready to take on the day!
Eat Breakfast, Even if it’s small
There’s nothing worse than sitting in class and hearing your stomach growl. Make sure you eat something in the morning, even if it’s small.
Plus, you’ll be more focused in class with something in your stomach.
Have some caffeine
There’s no doubt that waking up early is challenging because even after you do wake up you’ll still feel tired. Try to indulge in some caffeine before class, whether its in coffee, tea, or an energy bar.
Feeling awake and energized will help to ensure success in your class. You’ll be able to pay attention more easily, which will only help you learn the class material.
For early classes, I like to eat a Cliff bar or some type of energy bar. I kill two birds with one stone here because not only am I getting caffeine in my system, but I’m also eating something.
Arrive early
I know it’s hard enough to arrive on time to an early class, but try to get there at least five minutes before class begins. Simply because you don’t want to be the person that always oversleeps and rolls late into class.
Take Notes in Class
Taking notes in class is something you should do in any class, regardless of what time of day it’s at, but doing so is especially important in early morning classes.
Taking notes forces you to pay attention to the material. That way if you’re feeling tired, you’re still engaging with the material and can study from it later.
Early morning classes can be a real pain, but they don’t have to be. Yes, it’s such a struggle to get up early in the morning, but following these tips can help you make those early mornings more bearable. Early morning classes are inevitable in college, so you’re bound to have at least one at some point. When you do, here’s your go-to guide to absolutely crush your early morning classes.
This article was originally published on the author’s blog Christineeve.com.