A lot of people will tell you that college is really all about the hours between 10pm and 4am. That’s when the exciting stuff happens – the parties, the late-night conversations, the crazy photos you’ll look back at for years to come. And don’t get me wrong, a lot of great stuff can happen late at night. But I’ve always been more of a morning person, and especially my first year, I had a hard time figuring out how to be a morning person in college. Sometimes it would feel like it was organized for the night owls. So whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, there are a lot of great things to discover and take advantage of waking up a little earlier every once and a while.

My favorite thing about getting up early at swat is breakfast at the dining hall. The dining hall has new and exciting food every day for lunch and dinner, and almost all day it’s an incredibly busy place where you’re likely to run into friends and catch up with people you haven’t seen in a while. But morning in the dining hall is quiet and calm. There are much fewer people around, and with the huge windows letting in the early morning light, the space takes on a serene quality. Also, as someone who appreciates a routine, I really love that the dining hall serves the same breakfast Monday through Friday, with a rotating selection of fresh fruit and breakfast pastries to keep things interesting. There are few things I love more than getting up early, walking to the dining hall, and eating a bagel and fruit in the sun while reading a book. Finding a minute for some calm before a busy day can be really important for setting yourself up for success.

Ok, so you’ve had breakfast – now what? There are a lot of lovely places to sit in the morning at swat. I’m partial to Kohlberg courtyard, but also the outdoor seats at the science center and the big tables outside of Singer Hall, which I feel are under-utilized. There are the big tables on the first floor of McCabe Library which are awash with light in the morning, or you could grab an Adirondack chair on Parrish Beach. All that’s to say, you have a lot of great options. But my personal favorite spot is what I like to call Underhill terrace. Accessible from through Crum woods or through Lang Music Building or the Lang Performing Arts Center, Underhill Terrace is a lovely area right outside Underhill Library with tables and chairs that are perfect for a long study session. Last fall I was in a history class that assigned a truly wild amount of reading each week that I really struggled to keep up with. I eventually started going to Underhill terrace every morning and reading for an hour or two. The morning quiet helped me focus, and it helped me feel better throughout the day to know I had already gotten ahead on my reading. And there’s nothing better than doing your reading on the edge of Crum Creek.

But maybe you’ve already gotten ahead on your work, or you’re just feeling overwhelmed and need a break. Mornings are also the perfect time for a walk through Crum Woods. Watching the morning light filter through the branches and hearing the morning bird song is the perfect thing to wake you up and prepare you for the day with a sense of calm. I love walking in Crum in the morning because I sometimes run into people walking their dogs through the forest. Always a cute sight to see, and people are really friendly! Everyone I know has a favorite spot in Crum. My favorite is a large rock on the edge of the creek where I can sit and watch the water. I saw a kingfisher fly by while I was sitting there once!

So – you’ve had breakfast. Got some work done on Underhill terrace. Took a walk through Crum. As you emerge from the woods, you run into some friends walking to class. You walk with them on your way up the hill, laughing and chatting. As the autumn leaves drift down around you, you look around and realize you’re in just the right place. And you’re especially grateful you woke up early to take advantage of swat’s incredible campus!