Ah, yes. The infamous 8 a.m. Some people hate it, some people love it. I personally do not have much of an option when it comes to taking 8 a.m.’s. I have a love-hate relationship with my 8 a.m.s.

For some reason I continued to register for 8 a.m.’s despite having several other options and being a night-owl. However, I only sign up for an 8:00 a.m. if it is the LAB portion of a science course; this semester I also have my Patho class at 8:00 a.m, being a nursing major there are not many options ,because I may need a very specific science  prerequisite.

Keep reading if you want to know how I survive!

*Disclaimer: I am not, nor do I claim to be a professional in any topic mentioned. Practice each of these at your own risk. 

1. Eat breakfast.

I know it is hard to get up at 7 just to eat a healthy breakfast and get to class on time, but breakfast really is important. During my freshman year of college, I used to skip breakfast and I would NOT recommend that. Now as a sophomore, I make sure to push myself and get breakfast. Now I feel more alert in class and less groggy.

Tip: Sometimes my stomach feels uneasy in the morning, but I find drinking water before I eat really helps.

2. Prepare the night before.

I have been practicing this habit since I was in preschool and it is such a relief. Set out your outfit for the next day or place it all on one hanger and hang it in your closet. Set out shoes with socks and even under clothes and towel for the shower. Also pack your backpack with everything you will need for the next day. This prevents any frantic scrambling the next morning. There is nothing worse than arriving to a 8 a.m. in a nervous state.

3.  Go to bed early.

This may not be rocket science, but seriously go to bed. Time flies by at night especially when you are being productive. This is where your time management and organizational skills come into play. I do my best to be in bed by 11:00 p.m. (12 at the latest) when I know I have an 8:00 a.m. the next morning. Now, I’m not perfect and sometime I’ll end up in bed at 2:00 a.m.

4. Plan your schedule for the weekdays.

You have to plan well in order to survive an early course. Make sure that you have a lighter workload the night before an 8 a.m. This will allow you to have a little bit of relaxing time. I tend to plan my gym days the night before an 8 a.m. I sleep really nicely when I go to the gym and planning makes it possible!

These are just some simple tips. If you have any questions or extra tips that help or helped you please let us know in the comments!