I am UIC: A stressed student’s ode to early mornings

I love mornings, and as say this, I can already imagine the non-morning people rolling their sleepy eyes at me as they drag themselves to 8 a.m. classes. But hear me out!

When my Monday morning alarm rings, it’s the worst. It’s gravest reminder of all the things I have to finish — tests, homework, that one thing I was supposed to do that I didn’t. The exhaustive list continues.

A typical day for me begins at 7 a.m., where I’m greeted by a desk attendant at the UIC Rec Center, who’s reading something science-related…I think. I squeeze in a workout, then take my breakfast and coffee on the go as I walk to my first class. From then on, it’s work, more classes, group meetings, finishing papers, and by the time I get home, all I want to do is pull a blanket over my head and tell the rest of the world not to talk to me.

This weekend however, as I sat down to have breakfast, I had the greatest of epiphanies: “Omg. Am I eating out of an actual non-disposable plate? In the morning!? You. Are. So. Lavish. Trish.” As I finish the last of my tea, which, for the record, I also have out of an actual non-disposable cup, I realized how much I treasured mornings that I have to myself.

As trivial as it may seem, it was the absence of the rush. These are mornings where I hadn’t overzealously made plans to be sociable, didn’t need to cram for a test, or wake up early to finish a paper. These are mornings where every move I make is not centered around how much time I have until the next item on my list. These are quiet mornings when I can drench my waffles in maple syrup and eat them — on my own time.

All through the week, there’s mysterious, unshakeable, perturbing force that reminds me of the mountain of work I have. No wait, that’s just guilt. It’s the guilt of needing to be productive, of hustlin’ and hustlin’ hard. But a free Saturday morning rolls around, and sigh, this must be what happiness feels like.

So here’s my ode to the early mornings. When you’re tired from the hustle and the stress of the week, try consciously savoring the early weekend morning (again, I’m imagining the eye rolls), but trust me on this, you might just love it more than you think. 

Trixha Wu is a full-time business marketing student and part-time fun-fact buff. Her interests vary from traveling, to puns, to the history of Vikings. When she’s not busy reading fan theories about White Walkers, she’s listening to the smooth sounds of Death Cab for Cuties. French fries are her ultimate weakness, and she spends too much time on Instagram @trixhawu