So we’re about to start our third week of the semester, or what I like to call the reality check. New semesters are like New Year’s Day for college kids. It’s a fresh start, an opportunity to move on and begin something new.
But like New Year’s Resolutions our aspirations of becoming a superhero overnight seem to get the best of us sometimes. Three weeks into your 8am Numerical Methods in Civil and Environmental Engineering class (you poor thing), you find yourself questioning your sanity and why you would do such a thing to yourself.
Even though there isn’t much you can do about the situation, there are ways to make it through in one piece. Sure there’s the obvious: go to sleep early, prepare the night before. But let’s be honest, when was the last time you stuck to a bedtime? Elementary school?
So here are some positive, doable ideas to get you to that morning class with as little pain as possible:
Get the right alarm clock.
Alarm clocks have been the bane of my existence since childhood. To put it simply, I fall asleep late due to hours of studying (okay, okay…and netflix) so waking up early for class is rough. Hitting the snooze button is easy. But there’s nothing easy about play catch up all semester long because you couldn’t get up on time.
So, get an alarm that fights back. If you can’t seem to stop hitting snooze, get a clock that doesn’t allow it! Below is a list of alarm clocks that demand your attention or you’ll regret it. My personal favorite has to be Clocky, the robotic alarm that jumps off of your nightstand and runs around the room beeping until you catch it!
Check out this list of crazy alarms that will have you up in no time: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/creative-alarm-clocks/
Become best friends with your coffee pot.
There’s nothing like the smell and sound of coffee brewing in the early morning. It’s everything you could possibly want – warm, energizing and tasty. If you’re not a fan of it plain, there are a bunch of different ways you can have it, from blended into smoothies to cappuccinos to flavored varieties.
So plug those babies in and get to brewing!
Think about the awesome parking availability.
We knights all share two things: our love for UCF and our hatred of finding a parking spot. I’m pretty sure that 95% of the times I’ve been late to class were due to finding a place to park.
But if you’re one of the poor students who get to see campus before the sun’s up, parking is a breeze! Ground floor empty in any garage I want? Yes please! Now if that’s not enough incentive to get to class on time, then you’ve never spent 40 minutes searching for a spot in 3 different garages right before a quiz. Oh yeah, that’s actually happened.
Most importantly…Treat Yo’ Self!
Some of you only respond to positive reinforcement, so if that’s what works for you then just go with it! It’s always easier to do something you don’t feel like doing if you’re promised a reward at the end, so go ahead and do something you enjoy to show yourself a little appreciation!
Maybe that means grabbing breakfast with a friend or just going home and crawling back into bed. Whatever it is, go ahead and treat yourself. A little self love never hurts! (By the way, brunch tastes exponentially better after an 8 a.m lecture!)
Have any other ideas for surviving an early morning class? Share them in the comments section and help out a fellow collegiate!