Welcome back, Regent students! I know freshmen (and some upperclassmen) got the short end of the stick on class times. I personally like early classes, so they’re over with sooner and I don’t spend every waking moment dreading them. However, this semester I got myself stuck in a 7:35 am biology class. So, as someone who is two weeks in, hasn’t been late, has been attentive and actually enjoys the class (even though I don’t like biology), I’d like to offer some tips.
1. Allow yourself 8-10 hours of sleep.
The more complete REM cycles you get, the more rested you will feel. You can find any sleep calculator online to help figure out when you should go to sleep according to when you want to wake up in the morning.
2. Don’t set an obnoxious alarm.
I know some people like to use songs as their alarms, but I encourage you to not use any parts of a song. Why? Well, it gets generally annoying. You’ll start hating the song. Your roommates will hate the song. The walls will hate the song. Instead, I’d encourage you to use a simple alarm that doesn’t startle you out of your sleep. I prefer ones that gradually get louder.
3. Know yourself.
If this means setting 6 alarms in the morning to make sure you wake up, then do it. If this means waking up at 6 am for an 8 am class, do it. Not everybody’s wakeup ritual is the same. Some cook and eat breakfast, some don’t. Some shower in the morning, some shower the previous night. Plan how your morning should go the night before, and be sure to account for the time to walk to the place you need to go.
4. Motivate yourself.
If you wait to catch the mood for the day, chances are you’re leaving yourself vulnerable to be emotionally volatile and moody. You may never “catch the mood.” Decide what makes you happy and allot time for that thing. Now is the time to listen to your favorite song after you wake up as ‘get ready’ music, journal or read your Bible. Every morning, I tell myself it’s going to be a phenomenal day. Lo and behold, I now wake up conditioned thinking that it’s going to be a phenomenal day. It has drastically improved my wake-up mood from Oscar the Grouch to Elmo.
5. Have quick breakfasts ready to go.
Granola bars, instant oatmeal and peanut butter with toast or waffles are all filling breakfasts that can be prepared and eaten quickly. They are chock full of good stuff like protein, carbohydrates and sugars that your brain needs to get up and function in the morning.
6. Drink water.
Some people forget this step in the morning. Water is essential in hydrolysis wherein complex molecules from food are broken down to be readied for converted into energy. Without water, the body’s digestive system works slower, so you won’t reap the benefits of your great breakfast until later.
7. Interact in class.
This step will differ a bit between introverts and extroverts because introverts are drained by interaction with people, while extroverts thrive off of it. So here’s my solution: introverts should interact with the material in class by engaging the text, their notes or other learning materials. Extroverts should engage in class by communicating with the professor and other classmates. Theoretically speaking, this should allow time for the introvert and extrovert to build momentum for the day.
8. Write down assignments immediately.
When it’s that early in the morning, you’re bound to forget a thing or two that your teacher told you in that class. If you’re awake from 6:40 am to 11 pm, it starts to feel like you’re living two days every day. If you want to keep track of things that need to be done in that early class, make an immediate note on your phone or in your agenda. I promise you, it will make a lot of difference. (Don’t write assignments on scrap paper either because it makes things confusing.)
So, there you have it, this is how you can survive a 7:35 am class and still be sane. What is your routine like?
Photo Credit: Cover, 1.