So, we all know that we have, at one point, made a seemingly huge mistake by registering for an 8 AM class. I myself have been a double music major as well as a math major and have done this almost every semester, either out of forgetfulness or stupidity. Well, I've finally made a 10 part list of good DO's and DONT'S on how to go about keeping yourself from thinking it's okay "just this one time" to skip that early class!
DO!
1.) Save your shower until the morning. I know it makes some people cringe, but if you just wash your sheets, you'll be fine. Showering in the morning is one of the quickest ways to snap your body into motion, and keep you from thinking those Skipper thoughts.
2.) Keep a good supply of JUICE. Orange Juice and Grape juice work really effectively. After your shower, go over to your PC or radio and turn on Pandora radio or your favorite station and listen to some music and enjoy a slow glass of juice. You can sit down or whatever, but not in your bed! Just stay away from the bed!!!
3.) Even if you didn't go to bed until 3 am, (I myself have done this many times. I hold a job at Waffle House.) make SURE you wake up at least 1 hour BEFORE you leave for your class. This will give you plenty of time to have your body awake and doing some things.
4.) For those coffee drinkers out there. Brew up your best cup if you don't prefer juice. But fear the caffeine crash! Don't let it catch you midday, making you wish you'd slept more! Try to keep coffee intake to a minimum. Juice REALLY REALLY helps, I promise.
5.) Get active. Do SOMETHING. As I said, background music always helps. Turn the lights on in your apartment do a little cleaning or some dishes!
6.) Once you've gotten your body into motion, you may consider a quick breakfast that isn't heavy in sugars or caffeine. You don't wanna be caught with a sugar/caffeine rush and then catch the crash at your class at 1 PM. Eat something light, such as some eggs and toast. If you don't have any cookware, invest in some. It'll be WELL worth your time, and guys? Ladies ALWAYS think that a guy that can cook well has that as a really attractive quality there! I know my girlfriend loves the fact that I can cook, so consider practicing. Don't be afraid to experiment a little and find out what perks your brain up!
7.) After you've eaten, do NOT go sit in bed and flip on the TV. If you have a TV put it in a living area or something. DO NOT RE-ENTER YOUR BEDROOM. You will see the bed and think "Hmmmm.....that looks so comfy." It's an evil temptation. You need to be at your class, right? The answer will often be "Welll....I can skip like 3 more times..." . Thump the devil on your shoulder against the wall, and smack him with the hot frying pan you just finished cooking with. You need to be up, and alert.
What you SHOULD do after you eat is a quick little run through of your syllabus or notes for that 8 am class of yours. It won't help much, but you'll go to class prepared, or you may even remember that homework you forgot to do!! Since you woke up early, you'll have time to do at least a little of it, yeah?
8.) Cosmetic crap. Brush your teeth, Put on your makeup, shave, et cetera. This is where you've convinced yourself that you're going to class and you wanna look nice.
9.) If you feel like getting ready every day becomes a drag, then welcome to college --- Feel free to 'bum it' every now and then. Other college students will understand VERY well when you walk into class with your superman PJ's on. They really will. You may even get some interesting conversations from it! I suggest doing this occasionally as it provides a much needed feeling of relaxation IN class. It's nice
10.) And lastly, leave a little early for class if you have time. Go get those elusive parking spots, or tell your professor about any problems you had with homework. A little 2 or 3 minute office visit before an 8 o clock class really goes a long way with a lot of professors, because it shows them that you're motivated!!
DON'T!!
1.) Don't sleep with the AC on. EVER. I know it might get hot, but strip down a bit. If you sleep with the AC on, you will NEVER want to leave the comfort of those warm covers in your bed and I swear you'll hit the alarm 9 times out of ten and roll back over.
2.) Don't leave the lights off after you wake up... you need light, music, juice and ACTIVITY. Don't do it. Turn on the lights. Wakey wakey, eggs & bakey!
3.) Don't drink 3 cups of coffee because you stayed up until 4 am doing homework or partying. I promise you, the crash is 10 times worse than what you feel like if you're just tired from only having 2 or 3 hours of sleep.
4.) Do NOT miss out on the all-important meal: Breakfast. It will help you in ways that coffee will never. I am a coffee drinker myself, but save it until after your first few classes. Breakfast is vital. There's a number of things you can do for breakfast that require almost no cooking ability.
-Eggos
-Pancakes
-Toaster Strudles, or poptarts
-EGGS
-Toast
-Bacon, or Sausage
-cereal
for the more advanced cookers,
-French toast
-omelets
-gravy and biscuits
-sausage egg and cheese biscuits (It's cheaper to make them than buy them from McDonalds!!!)
5.) Don't forget to turn on the AC when you wake up. You'll be hot from sleeping without it most of the time, so when the cold air starts filling the apartment, you'll thank yourself.
6.) Don't tempt yourself to skip the class. Don't have a conversation with yourself about how you aren't prepared, or haven't done your homework. GO ANYWAY. Teachers will really appreciate your efforts if you tell them that you were just at your job until 4 AM.
7.) Don't think that just because you didn't get much sleep, that your day is going to be horrible. Consider your lack of sleep as a NAP of sorts and you'll be fine. It's a purely psychological thing. Just convince yourself that you took a medium-length nap, you're going to attend to a few classes and you'll catch an early night tonight!
8.) Don't try to get ready in a hurry. Take it slow. If you need more time, wake up earlier. It's all about relaxation, and slowly sliding in to gear. Guys, we all know you'll rip out a transmission if you go 10 miles an hour in a 5 speed car and switch to 3rd gear. You just don't do it. So why would you do it to your body? Chill out. Have a little fun, and take it slooooooow.
9.) Don't forget to organize your backpack. Get the books you need and the folders you need, maybe even take some time to organize the folders!
10.) Do not by any circumstances go back to the bed. Even if it's just to sit down and put your socks on, or play with your dog, just don't do it.
Hope this helps!!
Matt Singleton, Aspiring College Tips Writer.