Getting enough sleep is hard and presenting yourself as a functioning human being is hard and senior year can be hard, man. I have to be honest, I'm kind of surprised that it took me four years to start cutting corners and trying to make up for sleep. Here's a list of some of the things that I've done just in the last month and a half.
1. If you wear makeup, go light on makeup.
I used to be a eye shadow, mascara, and eyeliner kind of person. I don't remember when I stopped wearing eye shadow regularly, but it's amazing what a few seconds will give you in the morning. Recently, I've found that mascara does the trick, especially if you don't feel like removing eyeliner for a gym class in the middle of the day. Or you can just forget about makeup in general. In fact, I've had more makeup frees day the past month than I have the last three years at school. It's possible.
2. Dresses on lazy days.
Do you still care about looking cute? But you're too tired to think about looking cute? Dresses are your best friend (if you're into wearing dresses). Matching pants with a top (let's hope it doesn't need a tank underneath), a cardigan, shoes, and whatever else you need for an outfit can be tedious. But when you wear a a dress? You can cut that list in half. Not only does it look like you put effort into your outfit, but you can be super comfy, too. Sweatpants are also an option here, people.
3. Laying down.
I don't know what it is about this semester, but I have been getting so tired in the middle of the day and I depend on caffeine in an unhealthy way (I'm trying to stop, I promise). But what I've found that sometimes just laying down can at least keep falling asleep in your hour-long lecture at bay. It's best if you're hanging out with a couple of friends because if you do fall asleep they'll be there, but I have literally gotten down on the floor and watched a show on Netflix or studied or did my assigned reading between classes. Sometimes your body is just so tired that it just needs to not be vertical anymore. Trust me, this really helps in keeping your eyes open for the next lecture.
4. Having a morning plan.
You may have been able to get out of bed an hour or more before your first class in the morning before, but now it's somehow so much harder. I have a game plan in the morning (of course this is after 7 alarms go off in the morning, but whatever). I know what I have to complete in the morning, and I go through my mental checklist and I walk out the door.
5. Doing things the night before.
Print off your paper the night before, pack your snacks or lunch the night before, plan your outfit the night before, put your backpack together the night before. This saves so much time in the morning, but you're also less likely to forget something at home or in your dorm when you leave in the morning. There have been plenty of times that I've told myself I need to do something in the morning as I'm falling asleep, only to forget to do it when I wake up.
6. Going to bed early.
I know this is super hard and I struggle with this so much. I'm a night owl and I feel most productive once the sun has gone down. But if for some reason (obviously a miracle), you have no immediate homework due (let's say within 24 hours), GO TO BED WHEN YOU ARE FIRST ABLE TO. If you've been dragging all day and all you want to do is get in bed when you get home and you have NOTHING to do for the immediate future, go to bed early. I'm almost 100% certain that you deserve it.
7. Getting things done ahead of time.
I know this is the complete opposite of what I just wrote, but if you don't have things do in the immediate future and you still have a bit of energy, get some work done. Do you have 20 math problems due at the end of the week? Was your two-hour class cancelled and you have a project due after the weekend? If you're not ready for sleep, get that homework done.
8. Prioritize.
It all depends on what you can benefit from the most. There's a couple of ways you can prioritize your work. You can either complete all of your big assignments first and then your littler ones OR you can finish your assignments in the order that they're due (especially if you're doing all of this stuff the night before). Keep an eye out for online homework that has a set deadline; CURSE YOU, MIDNIGHT PRE-CALC HOMEWORK! Also, don't be afraid to ask for an extension if it's a few days in advance.
9. Getting your hair to look nice.
Some mornings my hair just isn't doing anything I want it to do and it's becoming more and more of a constant in my life. A lot of the times, it's just too flat. I've figured out a way to combat it: curling it. Now, I know what you're saying, but hear me out. I begun putting my hair up in two pigtails and I go through my hair with a curling wand. Voila! Fifteen to twenty minutes later, my hair has volume, I'm happy and you have some more hair confidence beginning your day.
10. Showering in the middle of the day when you have a chunk of time.
This is an obscure one and I only did it because I had after a gym class, but this saves some prime productivity time. In the morning, it's taking me too long just to get myself out of bed and out the door to shower and at night I'm more concerned about doing my homework and wondering how a shower is going to cut into my diligent student act. Showering in the middle of the day three times a week kept productive in some of my most diligent hours.
