I’m a little different than your average, stereotypical college student. Here’s why.

1. I like to wake up at 6 a.m. or 6:30 a.m. on an almost daily basis

I also live on campus and my earliest class is usually 8:20 a.m. or 9:20 a.m. Most of my college friends think I’m crazy for voluntarily getting up so early, but I like it. I have time in the morning to get ready at my own pace, eat my breakfast, peacefully drink my tea and maybe get some homework done. I feel like I get more done when I wake up early. I also like that no one else is really awake at that time and so campus feels quiet and empty, which is really serene for me.

2. My bed time is (on average) 10:30 p.m.

My friends roast me for this one. Most college kids don’t go to bed until after midnight. As someone who actually values their sleep, I go to bed early so I can wake up early. If I don’t sleep at least 7-8 hours almost every night, I cannot function and it truly makes school work and life harder to handle for me.

3. I don’t believe in living off of top ramen and other shitty and cheap foods

Eating well on a budget isn’t that hard (coupons are your friend!). Also eating a balanced diet isn’t as hard as everyone makes it out to be. Yeah, dining halls are great because you can eat whatever, whenever, but it’s never a bad idea to have healthy eating patterns. Balance out unhealthy foods with some healthy foods like fresh fruits or vegetables. For us foodies, every now and again when you have some money to spare, go have a nice dinner out with friends.

4. I will be graduating in the fall

It is very common for most college students to graduate in the spring. But when you’re a transfer student who transferred in the middle of the year (winter quarter), it becomes a little harder to graduate when most others do.

5. My nights out never really involves partying or drinking

College is the time of your life when you are away from parents and it’s time to be free. This involves going out and partying and drinking. First off, I don’t like going to big parties. They’re not my thing. I don’t find them enjoyable. Also I personally don’t drink. I just don’t like the taste of it. My ideal night “out” is going to a drag show or having a nice dinner out with friends, which doesn’t happen that often anyways.

6. My study habits for finals/exams involve waking up at 4 a.m.

Around finals time, most students seem to pull all-nighters to study for their exams. I usually just wake up at 4 a.m. on the day of my exam and cram in the wee hours of the morning all the way up to my exam time. So far, it’s worked out pretty well.

So tell me, are you the stereotypical college student? What are things you do that your friends give you crap for that seem strange to them? I know I can’t be the only one who refuses to be a typical college student.