With exam season and final papers quickly approaching, it’s especially important to be sure we aren’t wasting our time. A good morning can put you in a good mood and set the tone for a productive day. Here are some tips on how to get up and get ready efficiently:
1. Get a good sleep
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Set a time to go to sleep and more significantly, a time to stop working.
It’s important to have an activity that divides work and sleep, such as journaling, having a shower or meditation. As students we do so much work at home and it can feel like there’s no divide between relaxation and school work, or even that they are mixing together. In order to get through this time of the year, you have to let your brain shut off after a few hours of studying, or you’ll burn out quickly.
2. Have a great alarm
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Waking up to a great alarm can set the tone for the day. Having a song you like is perfect. Something cheerful, but not obnoxious is great, so you don’t get sick of it, but can still wake up in a good mood.
Another way to wake up relaxed is to download an app with an alarm that slowly wakes you up. A great app is Rise, however it can only be downloaded on IOS.
3. Have a routine
Whether you get up and check your phone as you soon as you wake up, or rush straight to the bathroom to brush your teeth, it’s beneficial to stick to the same things everyday during exams.
If you find a routine quickly that allows you to wake up efficiently and spend your day actually studying, you could be flying through the next few weeks.
Tip: In the morning, add washing your face with cold water and soap into your routine. It helps you wake up and not feel sluggish throughout the day.
4. Build in pick-me-ups
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Mornings can be tough, especially if you have a long day of studying ahead of you.
Adding activities into your routine as simple as making coffee the way you like it for yourself, can improve your mood and your day. Other things to do could include journaling the things you’re looking forward to or listening to a motivational podcast during your commute to the library, if you don’t study at home.
5. Have a time to be ready by
Don’t rush yourself, but be conscious of how long it will take to get ready. For me, I know I can go from getting up to getting out the door in an hour.
Knowing that lets me plan the time I have to be ready by. This is especially important if you plan to stay at your house for the day, to make sure you don’t spend too long getting ready – that Friends episode can wait until your next study break.
Now get out there and kill this finals season!