Hey y’all, hope your first month of second term hasn’t been terrible. I’m pretty tired already and the mid term season just started (I’m supposed to be studying right now but I thought I would take a break lol). The good news is… READING WEEK IS SOON!
So lately I’ve been finding myself dozing off in lectures. I don’t know if it’s because those courses are boring or I’m just really tired, or both.
I usually try to get 7-8 hours of sleep on the nights before I have class but it hasn’t been working .Maybe commuting for an hour to school takes a lot of energy out of me. And some of those seats in the lecture theatres are soooo comfy I can’t help it! But I know a lot university students can barely get 5-6 hours of sleep and it sucks. Getting enough sleep can be unrealistic some nights.
This past week I’ve been trying my best to stay awake during my lectures, so here are a couple of tips I came up with on staying awake during lectures:
Caffeine
Everyone says this. I’ve even gotten Awake caffeinated chocolate bars from the grocery store to try to stay awake and they actually work. Starbucks is my favourite place to get my dose of energy. I usually go for a mocha (white chocolate mocha or the Peppermint Mocha during the holiday season), a latte (iced vanilla latte or green tea latte), or a caramel machiatto. If you really hate the taste of caffeine, try one of their refreshers (I like the Berry Hibiscus one the best).
Tim Hortons doesn’t work as well for me but it’s much more affordable and you can treat yourself to timbits or a donut too if you want.
Uppercase in the Nest – I’ve only tried the Chocolate Mint Mocha but it was super yummy and it kept me awake during my afternoon lectures!
Ordering caffeinated tea at these locations should keep you awake just as well!
Don’t want to buy a drink on campus? Bring your own in a thermos to save money!
Drinks in general keep me awake actually. I’ve tried drinking bubble tea from the Village and it kept me awake during my lectures. Sometimes when I’m too lazy to get a drink I just drink water to keep me awake.
Snacks
Something to munch on during a lecture should keep you awake when you feel like you’re starting to doze off. Try a granola bar, fruit, crackers, any kind of snack. Maybe even eat your lunch if you didn’t have time to eat before class.
Partner in Crime
Ask your friend(s) to nudge you if they catch you dozing off during the lecture. I used to do this with my friend last year in EOSC 116, we would both try to keep each other awake and it worked most of the time.
IF ALL ELSE FAILS, go on your phone/browse the internet on your laptop
I know, this is bad but if your prof doesn’t have a no electronics policy, go on your phone or browse the internet on your laptop for a few seconds just to check your email or social media. Looking at something interesting can keep you awake during your lecture, just don’t get carried away.
Good luck during mid-term season!