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The undesirable skill it takes to park at George Mason.Â
Having a morning routine is one of the best time management hacks and being a commuter student, is one of the most beneficial aspects to your day to day life. Being a commuter student is definitely a skill in my opinion. Having to wake up hours to make sure to get to class, but most importantly to find parking! Living in northern Virginia, traffic has become UNBEARABLE!! My commute goes from 28 minutes to 45 minutes to an hour, and at that point, no amount of education I receive will make up for the absolute menace I had to go through. But I have learned, through the past months of dealing with commuting, the secrets to getting to campus without reaching my ends.
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Starting all the way to scheduling classes in the previous semester and choosing what classes will avoid the most traffic. This helped me to plan when I would be working, how much study time I could fit into my schedule, and calculate my commute.Â
I am also able to prepare myself by planning out a schedule that allows me to do everything that I need to get done.Â
My Morning routine
I begin my day by waking up at 5:30 am, which may seem impossible, but I feel refreshed and prepared for the day knowing I have time to make sure I have everything before I am done. The sunrise alarm clock has been my savior to waking up so early. I am not awoken by an abrupt alarm ringing in my ear, but rather by a light that slowly turns on and plays the sound of birds chirping. Â
Next, I do my skincare, and just the cold touch of the foam instantly wakes me up. I feel instantly refreshed knowing that my skin is all clean and ready for the day. My favorite skincare is the Bubble Skincare as it is affordable and the most effective skincare brand!
After the refreshing sensation, I pick out my outfit for the day! I like to wear outfits that are cute but also comfy. Wearing cute and comfy clothes allows me to focus, but also feel like I am in my Hot Girl Era when studying.Â
After getting dressed, I love to pair my favorite gold earrings to really bring the look together, #iykyk. Finally, I threw my hair up in a claw clip, plain and simple, and put on some basic makeup, mascara, highlight, and lip gloss finishing at around 6:30 am.Â
Finally, I start packing my bag making sure that I have all my school necessities including my laptop, charger, and textbooks. I also like to pack a few snacks just in case I need to pick myself up to focus in class. Once I get everything settled, I fill up my Owala water bottle so I am hydrated during the day, or at least my drive to campus, and pack my favorite Alani, Breezeberry, to push me through the pain.Â
I try to leave my house around 7:30-7:45 am, towards the start of the rush hour, so I don’t have to wait as long, also so I don’t get to campus before all of the buildings open. Some days on campus can be the best, but others you wish you could just turn around and go home.Â
I feel the hardest thing about college isn’t the classes, but getting to the classes. Even when I did live on campus, knowing that my bed was 10 feet away from me made it even harder to go to class than traffic. However, deep down I know that this is the most important time of my life and I will regret staying in bed and not pursuing my education.Â
So, if you are a commuter student or someone living on campus, even though your body is telling you no, listen to your head in pursuing your goals. If you would like to learn some tips and tricks about balancing work and school, check out my article: The Art of Balancing Work and School.