Ah, 8 a.m. classes: The bane of every college student's existence. You love them for the basic fact that you get the lame classes out of the way and have the remainder of your day to sleep - I mean, get stuff done, but at what cost?
Unless you're a morning bird or an early riser, chances are you cringe every time you have to set an alarm for your 8 a.m. or other early morning class. Unfortunately, it's really difficult to get through college without having to take at least one early morning class. However, if you haven't had to deal with this hellacious monstrosity, read on and see what the rest of us have to deal with.
1. Setting the alarm
You can feel it: Your heart beat quickens as you slide the alarm to the "on" setting and your stomach churns as you lay in bed, mentally preparing yourself for the awful groggy feeling you'll have when you wake up (unless you go to bed at a decent time. but let's be real: You're in college and that probably rarely ever happens).
2. The Wake Up
Your stomach drops when you hear the alarm blaring through the dark. Didn't you just go to sleep like five minutes ago? That's how it feels. You check your alarm just to make sure: Yep. Ugh. You pull yourself out of bed despite the deep dread filling your soul.
3. Getting Ready
You force yourself to throw on some clothes (Who cares if that shirt has dried queso on it? No one cares in an 8 a.m. No one's REALLY awake yet anyway) and slump out to your car, backpack making your back hunch and dark circles accentuating your outfit. Lookin' good, boo.
4. Getting To Campus
Whether it be the walk from your dorm room to the lecture hall or the insane, annoying traffic you face on your way to campus if you're a commuter, somehow everything is 100x more irritating before 10 a.m., especially when your class starts in 4 minutes and Carol in her Honda in front of you can't figure out where the gas pedal is.
5. Parking
Although this is a problem at any given time of the day on most college campuses, finding a parking spot before an 8 a.m. is very similar to The Hunger Games: Everyone's freaking out, you fear for your life, and you'll do just about anything at this point to get what you want.
6. Getting To Class On Time
Finding a parking spot was hard, but trying to race across campus to the hall where your Psych class is within 3 minutes is even harder. You refuse to run because of how early it is (unless you're in shape but, again, you're in college, so let's be real) but you find yourself power walking. Just tell yourself you'll treat yourself to Starbucks if you actually make it on time.
7. Finally Making It
You barely made it, but you did, so that's all that counts, right? Now you get the pleasure of sitting in one place for the next (at least) hour and try to look like you know what you're doing. Nodding off is imminent, but try not to drool on the desk.
Although 8 a.m. classes are difficult, they're not impossible to deal with (despite the dread you feel when you hear the alarm for the first time). If you have one this semester, good luck and get plenty of rest! You can do this!
