Somehow, 8 am classes sneak their way into our college schedules. We all try to avoid them, but somehow, some way, they creep in on you when you least expect it. After attending about three of these classes, you finally realize and accept that you actually have to suck up this class for the entire semester. And once you finally come to terms of acceptance, you can rely on these survival tips to get you through the long journey ahead.

1. Set your alarm accordingly.

Personally, I like to set my alarm on my phone to about an hour before I absolutely have to wake up. So I’ll have a 7:00 am alarm set, but also a 7:10 am, 7:20 am, and my 7:30 am alarm is when I absolutely when I have to get up. This way, I can have the satisfaction of slamming my snooze button without actually being late for class, AND I get a little extra sleep in.

2. Use your roommate as an alarm (If they’re okay with it).

If all your alarms fail to wake you up, politely ask your roommates to slap you around a little bit in the morning, not too hard, just a little love tap (LOL). If your roommates have an 8 am as well, ask them to set 10 alarms like you do, and since I have two roommates, maybe one of them would be able to wake everyone up.

3. Roll out of bed with the next day’s outfit on.

Okay. I know this sounds somewhat gross, but if you really cherish your sleep over getting ready for class in the morning, this is an awesome thing to do. Take a nice and long shower the night before. Don’t forget to dry your hair completely before bed, and brush your teeth. After that just put on the next day’s outfit, and you’re ready to go in the morning. The only thing you really have to worry about in the morning is brushing your teeth again, making your coffee, and I like throwing on a little makeup so I can look alive again.

4. Caffeine. Caffeine. Caffeine.

Just get any sort of caffeinated drink that will help add a little kick to your energy and mood. Coffee, tea, energy drinks, and many other drinks with a little or a lot of caffeine will do. Personally, I’m not a big coffee or energy drink drinker, but I do love me some tea.

5. Bring any sort of food item with you.

Even though you are very tempted to skip breakfast, it’s true. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Even if it’s just a Special K bar or an apple, anything small should hold you over until you actually are awake enough to eat a real meal. Cliff bars are good too, but a real fruit would probably be way better. If you don’t eat anything, you’re most likely going to feel like death is upon you, because of the zero energy you have.

6. Splash your face with cold water.

I really hate being cold, but splashing cold water onto my face in the morning really helps me wake up. After getting out of your warm, cozy, and lovable bed, the splash of cold water on your face sends your body into a shock and tells you the cold hard truth, “You don’t get to sleep anymore! Time to face the world once again! You don’t want to miss that test! Wake up!” Yeah. I know it sucks, but it helps a lot.

7. Turn up the music!

Music makes a very great impact on our moods and attitudes, as we all know. Listen to music right when you get out of bed, preferably something with high energy and a good beat. Lately, I’ve been listening to Halsey, Drake, Selena Gomez, and J-Biebs, specifically his new album. When you’re walking to your class half-asleep, the music will help perk you up a bit. It can also set the tone for the rest of your day. For me, music is a very important part of my life, and I’m sure almost everyone can relate.

8. If you’re a gym junkie, do a little 10-minute power workout.

Doing some jumping jacks, sit-ups, or even squats to help get you pumped up. If you’re really devoted to your power workout, you could even run around your building or run up and down the stairs. Some people might look at you and think “What is this person doing?”, but don’t even worry about it and just keep running.

9. If you’re religious or want some inspiration, then create a morning devotional that will force you to abide by it every morning.

My personal morning ritual consists of reading my daily horoscope and chugging a glass of water every morning. If you need some motivation to get up, you could start your own ritual, so that you get used to the rhythm every morning.

10. Review any material for your 8 am.

If you have a test at 8 am, you could put in some time to study. You could also finish up any homework you fell asleep on the night before. I always either fall asleep on my homework while doing it in bed or give up and tell myself I’m going to wake up early and finish it, which I do.

11. Do some meditation or yoga.

To calm your anger of having to wake up for an 8 am, do some meditation or yoga exercises. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Repeat.

12. Just don’t.

Seriously. If you can avoid having to take 8ams, then find some way to make that possible. I really hate 8ams, but we’re all going to have to take one at least once in our college lives. And I’m sure if you’re reading this, then you hate it too.

In the end, we all have to get our head in the game, and we are all in this together.