By Kendall Job
Being in college inevitably means having a hard time getting up in the morning. Whether you were up late because of studying or partying, it’s very rarely a simple task to wake up early or on time each morning. I decided to challenge this idea and try out a super-early morning routine for a day and see what the results were. Here’s what happened to me by the end of one day of waking up really early (at least according to college standards).
7:00 a.m. – Wake up
I chose to do this on a Monday, which meant that my first class started at 10am. Considering I usually roll out of bed between 9 and 9:30, I never need three hours to get ready in the morning. However, 7 a.m. seemed reasonably early for a college student that hadn’t gone out the night before.
7:30 a.m. – Workout
After doing all of the normal morning things like brushing my teeth, etc., I threw on some workout clothes and headed downstairs to the gym in my dorm. When I got there, I actually had to turn the lights on because I was the first and only one there, which made me feel even better about the whole early morning thing.
8:15 a.m. – Breakfast
After running 2 miles and doing my usual ab workout, I walked upstairs to the dining hall and grabbed breakfast. Again, it was pretty empty except for the few poor souls that had to make it to a 9 a.m. class. Breakfast on this day was particularly peaceful and gave me time to relax and gather my thoughts for the day ahead.
8:30 a.m. – Shower
Self-explanatory.
8:45 a.m. – Get Ready
This usually doesn’t take me very long, as I’ve mastered my daily routine of doing 5-10 minute makeup and choosing a comfy outfit I can easily throw on for class the night before.
9:00 a.m. – Prep for the Day
At this point, I had some extra time to spend preparing for the day. My roommate was still asleep, so I sat at my desk and looked over my planner and phone calendar to see what was coming up that day and for the rest of the week. I’m a planner by nature, so doing this at some point every Monday helps set my mind and life at ease for the coming days.
9:30 a.m. – Leave for Class
I tend to leave around 30 minutes early for my 10 a.m. class depending on whether I decide to bus there or walk. Thanks to the construction on campus, I like to allow a cushion of time in case I get stuck somewhere. I like to get to class early too just to be able to get ready and prepare notes and whatnot.
…
This was my whole morning routine the day I decided to make it all happen super early. There were a few things I noticed by the end of the day.
First being that I usually eat right before I leave for class, which made me hungry around the middle of my first class this day when I still had class until noon. Not fun.
Next, however, was that I felt more accomplished by the end of the day. I tend to wake up later in the mornings on a regular day, so I more often than not am working out later at night around 9 or 10 p.m. before I go to bed. I had more time to relax at night because of this, and I actually felt more energized throughout the day since I started it with my workout.
Aside from hitting my usual mid-day wall of tiredness around 3 or 4 p.m., I felt better overall by the end of the day that I had gotten up earlier, accomplished more and had more time to myself so as not to stress over the whole day.
Now, while I probably wouldn’t be able to do this every single day, I can confidently recommend doing this at least once or twice a week, possibly at the beginning just to better prepare yourself for the week ahead. It wasn’t nearly as painful as I expected as someone who tends to wake up around 2 hours after the time I did on this day.
Being in college can make for difficult mornings, but taking a day to keep an early morning routine might just help you stay on track for the rest of your week!
The Spread 