To put it realistically, 8am courses are probably one of the worst parts of college.

No matter how hard you try to manipulate your schedule, there is still a great chance that you’ll end up with an 8am even more than once.I remember saying to myself “8am? I used to start high school at 7:30am and I was fine, this won’t be that bad.”

Then I actually had to take one. And yes, it IS that bad.

Here are a few basic tips to help you survive your dreaded 8am.

#1 Sleep (No, not in class)

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I know this sounds silly, but this is one of the most important things. College is all about time management. If you have time during the day to get homework done, don’t keep pushing it off until 10pm to start. This will help you get a better night’s sleep before your class which will help you have a better chance of staying awake for the whole thing.

I know I don’t function well without enough sleep. So, my rule of thumb is that no matter what, the latest I’m going to bed is 11:30pm and if I have more work to do, it’s going to have to wait until tomorrow.

#2 Make coffee your best friend

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Coffee: the nectar of the gods. Lattes and frappuccinos can get pretty expensive for an every morning jumpstart, so learn to drink a normal cup-of-joe. Fresh coffee before and even during class will help keep you awake and ready for the day. Packed with caffeine, you’ll find yourself wide-eyed and bushy tailed in your class.

#3 Eat breakfast

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This is the meal I see so many people skip. I know waking up earlier than the allotted time you need to get to class isn’t ideal. However, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast is your morning fuel. Imagine driving a car with an empty gas tank. You aren’t going to go too far, and you’ll eventually breakdown. Breakfast fuels our tanks and gives us energy to get through the day. This means no breaking down( falling asleep) in class.

#4 Get ready the night before

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Our brains aren’t functioning too well the morning we first wake up. To avoid feeling more rushed and unprepared, get ready the night before. Pick out your outfit for the next day, pack your backpack with your laptops, books and notebooks, and throw some extra snacks in your bag to keep you going throughout the day. Now when you wake up, you have so much less to worry about.

#5 Get your homework done

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Some classes you have won’t be until later in the day. With that means that you might have some extra time before class even starts to finish that homework you didn’t do the night before. However, an 8am isn’t one of these classes. Let’s be realistic, before your 8am you are a zombie who is barely functioning as is. Do you really think you can finish that homework before class starts? Probably not. Make sure when you’re doing your homework the day before that your 8am work gets done first. You’ll get it out of the way and actually be prepared for class the next morning.