Mornings can be a drag for anyone, especially college students who stay up late and wake up early. Thankfully, there are plenty of quick and easy steps that can help jump start the day.

Of course, there are the common choices like: drinking copious amounts of coffee before even opening your eyes fully or taking a shower first thing and hoping that the steam from the shower will somehow melt the cobwebs in your brain.

Other choices are a little more unique or complicated.

A couple that attends VSU together has a joint morning routine that gets them in the right mood for classes every morning.

“We put cold water right under our eyes, it’s the first thing we do every morning and it’s supposed to wake you up,” 20-year-old sophomore and business management major, Kelci Coker said.

This is an old adage with a new spin as most people would just splash their faces with cold water, but Coker believes putting it directly beneath the eyes is more effective.

Their routine is multi-faceted and may take longer than some students have in the morning according to Coker’s boyfriend.

“We shoot to go to the gym at 7 a.m. and work out until 8 a.m., then come home, shower, eat breakfast, and go to class,” 21-year-old junior and international business major, Patrick Walker said. “Definitely can’t forget the shower part.”

Stepping outside for some unfiltered sunlight and soaking up pure vitamin D can help you wake up in a jiffy, especially if you peel off some layers and embrace the chill, according to an article by Matthew Rogers for Life Hacker.

For those that need something they can take on the move, a good idea could be to drink a glass of lemon water or pop a mint on the way out the door, according to a piece on Develop Good Habits.

Personally, I don’t typically have much time in the morning to get ready so my morning routine takes a lot of preparation the night before.

I prepare my breakfast the evening before, including a pre-brewed cup of coffee. I also pick my clothes the night before and set a plethora of alarms.

The biggest step is mental: I have an alarm set on the hour at eight or nine, but ten minutes before, I lay in bed with my eyes clothes and mentally walk myself through everything I have to do to get ready, it sounds silly but it works.

Other students take time for mental preparation in the morning as well.

“Whenever I get up in the morning, I like to listen to my music — K-pop or Christian rapper, Lecrae — because it gets me in a good mood and it makes sure I have a good attitude,” 19-year-old sophomore and English major, Alyssa Jackson said.

Since a lot of students live with a roommate, another way to kickstart the morning is to create a buddy system to encourage accountability for rising early, according to an article on Fast Company by Sarah Peterson.

Waking up can surely be a struggle but taking these small steps to get rid of the morning blues will really improve the rest of the day.

Try setting your alarm one minute earlier every day until you reach an ideal wake up time or bite into a lemon in the morning to help propel through the beginning of a great spring semester.

Story by LaDaezjah Warrens, Staff Writer. Photo courtesy of Pureau.

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