To Jane Austen readers, “it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” But for college students, it is a truth that the 8AM classes be avoided. Sleeping, eating, procrastinating— there is so much else we could be doing in that time in the early morning! But try as we might, this struggle is sometimes inevitable, and we must admit defeat to the dreaded 8AM class.
No worries, though, because as someone who started high school each morning at 6:45AM, and who wakes up before 8AM regardless of whether or not I have class, I can assure you early morning classes are manageable and 100% doable. All you need is preparation and these eight essentials.
1. Set your alarm
Set your alarm! One of the worst ways to wake up in the morning is by checking your phone and realizing your lecture is already halfway through! And if you find your alarm to be unreliable, set another one— on your phone, on a digital clock, whatever you have to do. Avoid the early morning panic of pulling sweatpants over your pajamas, running to class and arriving in a sweat by just making sure that you set an alarm or even a couple.
2. Bring a jacket
Yeah, it can get really warm mid-afternoon, but it’s usually pretty cold out in the mornings. Plus, the AC in some buildings are sometimes unreliable, blasting all out in the middle of winter. A light jacket can help you avoid getting the shivers in class.
3. Make breakfast
There might not be anything worse than my stomach rumbling (so LOUD) during lecture when the entire class is completely silent. Listening to the growls of your stomach reverberate off the walls of the classroom can be extremely distracting and pull your attention away from your studies. Grab some food— a banana, a granola bar, anything- to help tide you over when the inevitable hunger takes over.
4. Drink coffee
Or tea. Whatever it is that will help you be more awake and active. Waking up early and forcing your brain to plunge right into intensive study may be difficult, so grab a little pick-me-up for yourself.
5. Pack your bag
Preparation is key here. So before you go to sleep the night before, pack your bag and be sure that you have everything you need in there. Pen? Check. Notebook? Check. Fully charged laptop? Check. It’s so much easier to just grab your bag and go than to scramble around in the morning and ending up forgetting a couple things.
6. Plan your outfit
Yes, sweatpants and pajamas are common staples of an 8AM class, but they don’t have to be! Plan your outfit the night before and arrive to class on time, ready to learn, and feeling calm and prepared! You won’t have to frantically scramble around in the morning, and can feel comfortable and relaxed as you get to class.
7. Pack headphones
Listening to your favorite song can be the perfect way to start off your day. It can get you feeling energetic, or it can calm you and soothe your nerves as you start off the day. As you walk to class, bring your headphones to help wake you up with a little bit of music.
8. Grab a friend
Make friends in your class so that showing up to class every day will feel more fun and eventful! Not only will friends be able to study with you, they can also make waking up early for an 8AM class a lot more manageable.
8AM classes are not easy to deal with, but being prepared and being ready for that course can make it a lot more manageable and maybe even fun. So set that alarm, pack that bag, make those friends and go ace that class.
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