Surviving 8 a.m. Classes

By Dayanne Garcia on July 23, 2013

 Most college students will take an 8 a.m. class once during their time in college. The thought of an 8 a.m. class is frightening and even a hassle to some students. The thought of waking up before 8 a.m. and then sitting through an 8 a.m. lecture is discouraging but with the proper motivation it is possible.

 1. Make a Friend 

Making friends in classes is a great idea. Not only do you now have a new friend and a study buddy but you also have someone motivating you to go to class. Fall and spring quarter of my freshman year in college I took two 8 a.m. classes. At first I found it hard to wake up and pay attention while I was in lecture. The third day of class I met a girl who would end up being in my spring class as well. Everyday she would text me letting me know she was on her way to class. This would motivate me to get up and get going as well. Eventually we came up with a system that would keep us going to class everyday. One week she would arrive early and save us seats, the next week I would go to class early and it would switch off from there. We went to every class because of this system and both passed with B’s.

You can do the same thing if you’re taking a class with someone you already know. Arranging to meet up and go to class if possible is a good idea. This will keep you both from sleeping in since you will have someone waiting for you.

2. Set Multiple Alarms

If you are someone who is known to sleep through your alarms, set several alarms that go off 5-10 minutes apart from each other. You will have constant noise that will become a nuisance until you finally wake up. Having a roommate will make this difficult if they do not have 8 a.m.’s. If your phone has a vibrate option for your alarm, place it under your pillow. This will cause vibration until you wake up without waking up your roommate. If your roommate is anything like mine, you will eventually feel bad and learn to wake up when the first alarm goes off.

3. Go to bed at a reasonable time

Going to bed early seems like a difficult chore for college students (yes it seems like a chore). We are either up studying or socializing instead of going to bed early and catching up on the sleep that we desperately need. Going to bed early has many benefits that will pay off in the end. Try using your time wisely during the day. Instead of hanging out with friends and doing nothing, ask them to bring over some work to do while you’re together. This will eliminate workload that you will have to do after they are gone, which also means you’ll go to bed earlier than you originally planned. As my grandmother always says, “8 hours of work, 8 hours of play and 8 hours of sleep.”

4. Your Grade!

Last but certainly not least, your grade depends on you showing up to class! Remember that lecture is extremely important, especially if your professor takes attendance. Once you get into this mindset, getting up will become an easier task. Remember you are a college student. Going to all of your classes is your job. Getting up early is worth the high grade you will receive in the class. If not, just think of all the money you will be making 10 years from now.

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