Early Bird

When you Google the words “morning person” the following results come up: “How to become a morning person,” “why morning people rule the world” and “the power of mornings: why successful entrepreneurs get up early.” Just to name a few.

I love being an early bird — though it wasn’t always this way. I used to stay up until 2 a.m. on a school night chatting on AOL Instant Messenger. But as I’ve gotten older, my needs have changed. I’m non-stop busy during the week, balancing jobs, school work and some strange shadow of a social life, and by the end of the day I’m tired of being “on” — tired of the people, of the work, of the stuff.

When I’m up at 7 a.m., none of that exists.

At least, it doesn’t have to. When I get up early, no one else is awake. It’s my “me” time. Most college kids are clinging to those extra hours of shut eye while I’m enjoying my three free hours before my 10 a.m. class. I put my phone on airplane mode and take that time to do things I enjoy: reading, marathoning “Friends,” running and making a delicious breakfast.

No one is asking me questions. No one is reminding me of due dates. No one else is up.

Getting up early is healthy. You have more willpower to do the things you need to get done right away in the morning (if that’s your MO). You can meditate and set your intention to have a great day by starting it in a great way (not running to class in the clothes you slept in) and in the end, you can actually fall asleep at night feeling less stressed. Since becoming a morning person, I rarely feel stressed. Instead, I feel relaxed and, well, alone … even if it’s just for an hour first thing in the morning.

It’s just me and the worm. And some other successful morning people, including Benjamin Franklin, Condoleeza Rice, Tim Cook, Ernest Hemingway and Anna Wintour. Join us.

— Kristina Bornholtz, Managing Editor

Night Owl

Out of all the sounds in the entire world, my alarm clock is the worst possible sound I can think of. Add on that more often than not, it goes off during a fantastic dream I’m having. Nothing is worse.

I hate mornings. Why do I need to get up and out of my warm, cozy bed to participate in the real world? Can’t you give me a few more hours than I’ve been given to get up and get ready when I want to?

For me, waking up is more like dragging myself out of bed at the last possible second, into the shower and (sometimes unwillingly) going to class. I don’t even go to class until 10 or 11 every day, and it still is sometimes a struggle to get out of bed. How people get up and make it to their daily 8 a.m. classes is beyond me.

This isn’t to say there’s nothing glorious about my days, I just like nights better. I’ve learned to thrive in the late hours, when the nighttime somehow turns into mornings. I do my best studying and writing then.

Why in the world would I want to get out of bed before I need to? I just end up staying up late to do my best work, so everything might as well wait until nighttime anyway.

I don’t know, maybe I’m a different kind of breed. But if college has taught me anything, I can sleep when I’m dead.

— Meghan Hosely, Online Editor