Hey, Collegiettes! Are you ready to Better Your Life?
It’s self-explanatory. I’ll post a blog during the first week of each month that features ways you can make your life better. Disclaimer: These are things I (or someone else) have found to work. We’re all unique, and what works for me may not work for you. The best advice I can give is to try it, and if it doesn’t work, that’s fine! You still gave it the “ol’ college try”!
“In an ideal world, no one would talk before 10 a.m. People would just hug because waking up is really hard.” Zooey Deschanel
It’s so hard to get up in the morning, especially when you have a ton of work to do throughout the day. You press the Snooze button ten times before finally rolling out of bed thirty minutes before class. In thirty minutes, you manage to shower, get dressed and look adorable for that cutie in your math class. Halfway through class, your stomach starts yelling to ask if your throat has been cut because you had to skip breakfast. You have meetings and practice and homework, and you have to find time to eat at some point, so it’s late by the time you finally get to bed. In five hours, it’s time to do it all again.
We’ve tried everything to make things work for our busy schedules. We’ve tried going to bed early, which works until we forget that we have an assignment due for our earliest class the next morning. This sudden rush of “I have to do it now!” usually results in pulling an all-nighter with friends where you instead watch a marathon of Pretty Little Liars before the season premiere. (Sleep schedule RUINED!) We’ve also tried caffeine, but that doesn’t work because shakes and jitters keep us from reading class notes, and caffeine acts as truth serum which leaves us rushing to the loo more often than to class.
Does that sound like you? If so, let’s try something new: wake up earlier!
When I started waking up earlier for class, I noticed a huge change in my behavior. I was able to pay attention and hold intelligible conversations before 3 p.m. What other pros come with waking up early, you ask?
- Showering – The right combination of water temperature and amazing-scented shampoo, body wash and face wash can get you up and going for a big day! Who doesn’t like to smell nice?
- Eating breakfast – Food is vital to your body so that it can convert nutrients to energy. You don’t have to make it all the way to the dining hall, but keep some fresh fruit and granola bars in your room for an on-the-go breakfast that jump-starts your day. Something small is better than nothing at all!
- Giving Yourself Time to Take Your Time – If you get up a little bit earlier, you have some time to relax before heading out to class. Rushing to get ready can make you even more tired and overwhelmed; try not to do it! Give me forty-five minutes before my class, and I’ll feel like I’m good to go for the whole day. It can be tough when first starting this routine, but don’t fret. It won’t last forever!
- Finishing Homework in the Morning – If you’re tired but still have some homework to finish, just go to bed and get up early to finish it. In addition to your body thanking you for the sleep, that question you were stuck on the night before will be clear to you by morning.
With that said, simply go to bed and wake up a few minutes earlier each day. To minimize your late nights, save those last minute runs to Sheetz, Wal-Mart and The Donut Shop for the weekend. (Don’t worry, they’ll still be there on Friday!) If you start putting your “needs” before your “wants,” you’ll be better at completing daily tasks and you’ll find that there’s more time in the day to do the things you want. It’ll be easier to wake up early if you’re not waiting for the hot, fresh donuts that come out at midnight.
When thinking about my future and waking up early, I dream about a day when I’ve graduated from college and I have my own house. I’ll live in a country farm house with a white wooden porch. There will be three white, wooden Cracker Barrel-style rocking chairs on the porch. Every morning, I’ll wake up and go sit on the porch with my coffee, a book or my notebook, and watch as the morning fog lifts from the grass and the sun heralds the day. What’s your vision? Picture it and look forward to it! Make this your motivation when rubbing the sleepies from your eyes each morning.
If you have an idea for the Better Your Life blog series, complete the “Got a story idea for us?” form on our HC WVWC Home page.