I have always had a tendency to wake up early, it just kind of grew on me. Even when I do not set an alarm, I am essentially incapable of naturally sleeping later than, say, 9:30 a.m. And that’s a good day. This used to really bother me; I wanted to be able to sleep in like most people I know can, and therefore be able to stay up later at night without getting ridiculously tired. But over the years, I have really started to come around on the idea of being a “morning person.” Sure, I might tend to get tired earlier, and not make it to midnight anymore, but the benefits of being an early riser cannot be more clear. So, for all of you who enjoy sleeping late and hate mornings, here are a few reasons why I am perfectly content with being a morning person:

I have a clearer mind in the morning.

It is so much easier for me to get work done earlier in the day than later; I’m not as tired, my brain is more alert and I’m just more capable of focusing and working through my seemingly endless “to do” list. I can handle 8 a.m. Math classes. If I’m having trouble figuring something out on homework or have writer’s block while attempting to write a paper, I can just go to sleep and know that I’ll be able to focus better early the next morning.

My days seem longer.

If I wake up early and get out of bed, do work, and then need a break, I still have the entire afternoon available to do whatever needs to get done. I can spend time with friends, do more work, or just relax and watch Netflix. By getting up early and being productive early in the day, I have so much more time in the day to simply get things done. By sleeping in, I feel like I've wasted a good chunk of the day.

I can handle 8:40 A.M. classes.

Obviously a class that early is never my first choice, but when I get stuck with one, I can deal with having to wake up early twice a week and go to class. I can also rest easy knowing that I will never accidentally sleep through class.

So, unlike what I originally thought, being a morning person really isn’t that bad. In fact, it’s kind of a great thing. But I still need coffee. But who doesn't?