I always knew I had a problem. Staying up all night, bumming around, procrastinating and playing video games until I see something peeking its irritating head through my blinds – it’s the sun.
Oh great, I just wasted a good eight hours doing absolutely nothing of importance and being completely unproductive! I should probably go to bed now because I do have that 9 a.m. class tomorrow… err today and I’m running out of days to skip before my grade gets docked!
As I lay in bed trying my best to ignore the sun’s overly energetic beams, I suddenly remember I haven’t checked everyone’s Snapchat stories. Oh no! While I’m here, I might as well check up on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, too, you know, just so I don’t end up missing anything important. Okay, okay, I’m done. I’m putting my phone away.
Now finally, I’m tired and ready for some much needed beauty sleep after a long day of inactivity. Wait what’s that sound? It’s my alarm clock. My class starts in 20 minutes. Screw that class, we’re probably not even doing anything too important anyway, (I think to myself) Goodnight.
Sound familiar? This little routine is the bane of many a college kid’s existence. You wake up late, probably miss a class and the one you do make it for you’re barely awake for. As the cycle continues, the weight of all those missed classes and deadlines begins to take its toll on your grades. Some researchers have discovered a correlation between night owls and higher IQs. Unfortunately, this doesn’t provide an adequate excuse to ignore daily responsibilities.
The truth of the matter is this: While you may be able to slide by with just a few hours of shut eye a night in college, it’s not healthy for you or your collegiate career. See, in the real world, breakfast doesn’t start at 1 p.m. Work commences when the sun rises and ends when it’s close to setting. And unlike your generous professors, your future employers will likely be less lenient.
Could you imagine what an actual entire day feels like? To wake up at eight, maybe go grab some coffee or breakfast until your first class where you now have the time to actually shower and be presentable for once. Seriously, props to the people who routinely have a proper breakfast, you’ve got your stuff together. Think about all the things you’ve been putting off and now have the time and energy to do.
Speaking from experience, getting just one thing accomplished on my list of many things to do is not only extremely rewarding but also relieves unnecessary stress. Simply put, when you do what needs to be done, you feel good about yourself. It is always to your benefit to make the most out of each day.
If this sounds too scary for you or you’re a diagnosed insomniac or you’re just too lazy, night classes are always an option. Keep in mind that your late schedule might get in the way of your social life. The important thing is to be honest with yourself. If you have the option of taking a class at 10 a.m. or 6 p.m., be realistic. Choose the class you know you’ll be less likely to miss. If that’s not possible and you’re brutally forced to take an early class that you’re tempted to skip, suck it up. Skipping classes means you’re literally giving thousands of effortless dollars to the university.
I know it’s rough, but I dare you to see what all you can achieve on a normal person’s timetable.
Who knows what you could accomplish? The early bird gets the worm after all. (I’m so sorry I just had to).
Brown: Memoirs of a nocturnal college student
Kiefer Brown
January 21, 2015
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