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How to get a good degree: Go to Bed (and get up…)

Judging by site stats my posts on getting a good degree are quite popular, so since this is the start of the academic year I’ll talk about one of the most important elements of getting a good degree. And this is an important one:

Go to bed.

Now, I know the student life is supposed to involve staying up late and partying and I have nothing against that in moderation. But if you want a good degree, then go to bed.

Sleep is vital for humans. No-one knows why we do it. It seems strange and wasteful to spend about a third of our lives asleep when obviously we could be out enjoying life. What is known is that lack of sleep leads to poor health and poor concentration. And concentration is vital to getting a good degree.

Hence, don’t stay up mindlessly watching TV (how many repeats of Friends or Two and Half Men do you need to see?), surfing the internet (the internet will still be there tomorrow and most of it’s rubbish) or texting friends (are your texts of an Oscar Wilde standard of repartee? No? Then cut out the late night lols and omgs).

How to get up in the morning
Of course, a bigger problem is getting out of bed in the morning. Students are stereotypically famous for not getting up. Current popular research suggests this is due to the hormones of young people and we shouldn’t try to fight it; the school day should start later.

However, if you have a large number of those unpopular 9am lectures, then here are some simple tips on getting up:

  • Take it easy: Try 15 minutes earlier for a few days. Next try an extra 15 minutes earlier and so on until you get to the goal time.
  • Don’t put the alarm clock within reach. The action of moving to reach the alarm will wake you up a bit.
  • Never use snooze. You know why.
  • Get out of the bedroom as soon as possible. This helps wake you up and avoid the temptation of staying in bed.
  • Have a morning ritual. This helps you get going. Whether it is breakfast, exercise or reading notes for the day’s lectures, doing something gives you a reason to get up.

Note that the middle three can be achieved very easily: put your alarm clock near your bedroom door!

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