Perhaps you are not getting the eight hours of sleep. But honestly, does anyone? Unfortunately, the professor standing in front of you doesn’t see the 3 am snaps and Instagram stories of you binge eating Dominos or horror movie marathon and doesn’t know that you don’t want to study the structure of communication in the first hour of the morning. Only a college grad knows how hard it is to stay awake in class, much less figure out what they are saying in class. Trust me, I understand. That micro-nap when you’ve slept at 7 am but still woke up after an hour to attend the 9 am lecture. So, here are 21 ways that can help you stay awake:

  1. Tune in and concentrate on your professor’s words.
  2. Stock up on red bull and energy drinks (it’s unhealthy but effective).
  3. Take a walk, walk like you’ve never before.
  4. Draw, doodle, scrabble and get the creative juices flowing.
  5. Drink cold water and splash some on your face too.
  6. Tap a pencil on your desk, it’ll keep your mind alert.
  7. Ask questions, don’t think about their level of dumbness.
  8. Sit in the front row.
  9. Get addicted to coffee. It’s your best friend in college.
  10. Remind yourself of the bills you’re paying.
  11. Start taking up green tea.
  12. Get a fidget toy and mess with it.
  13. Take notes with coloured pens.
  14. Take that extremely cold shower.
  15. Take a small nap when no one’s watching.
  16. Fool your brain by telling that it did get enough sleep.
  17. Sit with someone talkative.
  18. Sit straight. A straight spine keeps you more alert.
  19. Sit near the AC where you’re always cold.
  20. Ask your friend to keep poking you.
  21. Or do the impossible by getting 8 hours sleep every night.

The funny thing is that no matter how much we stress on changing ourselves and our routines, it’s impossible to be the ideal person in college. It’s a must have experience and definitely one of those that you’ll definitely remember. Happy sleepless college life!