Waking up at 6 A.M. every weekday, and rushing around to get everything together so you don’t miss the bus or miss your ride can be one of the most challenging things a high school student can go through. Getting up before the sun even rises is the part I don’t like about school. Over the past 3 years here, I have changed my routine to increase the time to sleep in for as long as I can, as everyone knows every minute of sleep counts, while also being more efficient with how I do my homework every night.

The first tip to be more time efficient is to get everything ready the night before. Having your book bag packed will make it easier to get ready before you leave. Just grab your bag and go. I pack my bag, leave it by my door, so I can downstairs, and walk right out to leave. Another thing I have ready is my lunch. Packing your lunch the night before saves the time of making it in the morning when you’re exhausted. If anything needs to be refrigerated, place it in the fridge and pick it up on the way out. Even for lunch buyers this can be an easy way to save time. Have your money ready for the morning, so you don’t forget it or have to rush around with that on the “morning to-do list.” Lastly, picking out your outfit the night before saves an extreme amount of time in the mornings, and is one of the main reasons I can sleep in longer. Many people go through several outfits, before they find what they want to wear which is why most have to get up so early.

Some of you may think it is hard to do everything the night before with piles of homework after school, sports, or extracurricular activities. Something that has helped me has been to write everything down in my planner for what I need to do. Additionally, I do my homework the day I get it. For projects or assignments that are due in an extended time rather than the next class, I split it up each day doing only parts of it which saves me time to do other things to get ready for school the night before. With other homework, staying organized can help to cut time because it saves some part of rushing and worrying. Getting home from school, taking a thirty minute to one hour break, can help you get ready for the homework for that night. The homework can all be done at an earlier time rather than late at night.

I hope these tips help you to save time in the morning and be more efficient, so you can get the most sleep possible!