Healthy Techniques to Staying Awake in College

College can be fun and boring at the same time. 

The fun part? Partying with your fellow collegiettes, exciting on-campus activities, and taking classes that are part of your major.  The boring part? Waking up for a long lecture class where your uninterested, the lecture is confusing and unclear, and you are just too tired to listen and pay attention. 

 
It’s hard to wake up on Monday mornings or really any class between the hours of 8-10 a.m for college students today; and we know that it’s sometimes just too hard to get the full eight to nine hours of sleep with all of our projects and activities.  But before you grab your coffee, read up on these tips that can help you stay awake, alert, and focused!
 
1. Dress the Part: Dressing a certain way can actually help you stay alert and focused. Wearing sweats and a hoodie all the time can make you more tired because of that warm and cozy feeling. The idea of what you wear affects your focus may sound a bit strange. However, you will tell the difference when you wear clothes that you know you wouldn’t slouch in sitting on chair. The way you dress really does affect your mood, and wearing clothes that force you to “present” yourself will make you feel happy, alert, and positive throughout your class and throughout the day.
 
2. Eating Habits: We’ve all heard the phrase “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” but do we really embrace it? Many of us don’t because we’re always in a hurry and don’t have time to eat, or we just grab a snack that may not be healthy for us. A cup of mixed fruit is a good way to start the day.  Look to buy pineapple, nectarines, oranges, apples, bananas.  You can then follow it with a multigrain bagel with your choice of cream cheese (Cafe Rosso has great bagel and shmear combinations), or a bowl of cereal -and we’re not talking about Lucky Charms. Don’t expect to be awake in class if you’ve had a sugary breakfast, or no breakfast at all, otherwise you’ll find yourself listening to your stomach, not the lecture.
 
3. Take Excessive Notes: Writing down everything the professor says keeps your brain busy and keeps you awake as it forces you to do some sort of physical activity. And this way even if you’re not completely listening to every word you will still be prepared for the midterm and final. Try color coordinating your notes as well!
 
4. Green Tea: We know how much collegiettes love coffee, but there’s a great, more healthy alternative- green tea! With antioxidants, green tea helps lower cholesterol, burn fat, and prevent diabetes and stroke according to WebMD.  Green tea has the second highest amount of caffine, next to Black tea and with less sugar than those mochas or lattes (as long as you don’t add any!). Green tea makes you feel more refreshed and energized. Caffe Rosso and SFSU Station Cafe have great selections of green tea and it’s cheap too! Where there’s coffee, there’s green tea.