You’re about to hit snooze for the fourth time, when you realize that your first class starts in 10 minutes. You roll out of bed, quickly pull on some clothes, grab your backpack, and rush out the door.
But”¦ you hate showing up to class feeling rushed and half-awake. You’ve seen TikToks of other students’ morning routines””they’re filled with aesthetic shots of oat milk lattes and avocado toast, skincare products, and cozy outfits. You wish you could be like that.
If so, I’m going to reveal the exact secrets to establish an aesthetic morning routine for college students.
As a busy college student myself, having a consistent and enjoyable morning routine has boosted my concentration, productivity, and mood. When I didn’t have a routine in place, I would feel less motivated, accomplish less work, and in general, feel worse throughout the day.
If you want to get more done, feel energetic, and improve your overall well-being, then keep reading!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that when you make a purchase through a link, I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Foundation of An Aesthetic Morning Routine in College
Tip #1: Choose a Suitable Wake-Up Time
You’ve probably seen productive college students who start their days at 5 am. You’ve probably thought, Well, that could never be me.
The good news is that you don’t need to start your day at 5 am”¦ or even 6 am. You don’t need to get up crazy early, but you should find a routine that works for you.
During my gap year, I woke up at 5 am to work every weekday. Once I started college, this was no longer feasible. Club events would sometimes continue as late as 10 pm, so I started waking up at 7 am instead.
The key is finding a time you can consistently stick to every day. That leads me to the next tip…
Tip #2: Be Consistent!
Having a productive morning routine is a habit (or rather, a series of habits) that you need to establish. And a must-do for establishing any habit is maintaining consistency.
If you wake up at 7 am one day, then 10 am the next, then 9 am the morning after, you will mess up your circadian rhythm. You will not only find it difficult to maintain a morning routine, but you will also lack energy and motivation throughout the day.
Of course, you should allow for some exceptions. For instance, it may be Halloween weekend, and you want to go out. That’s okay. But you should get back on track as soon as possible.
Tip #3: Make Sleep a Priority
Since starting college, I have made sleep a top priority and strive to get 7-8 hours of sleep every night, no matter how busy my schedule is. I know that if I don’t sleep enough, I will end up getting less done.
In high school, I constantly made the mistake of staying up late to get extra work done. But then, I would be so exhausted the next day that a problem that could have taken me 15 minutes would take me two hours (I say this from personal experience).
Tip #4: Have a Good Bedtime Routine
If you want to have a consistent morning routine, you also need to have a consistent bedtime routine. After all, if you sleep at wildly different times every night, your circadian rhythm will be out of whack.
If you’re struggling to go to bed on time, check out these effective bedtime routines that helped me establish a consistent bedtime as someone who used to struggle with putting work or (more commonly) YouTube away.
Setting Up An Aesthetic Space
Your environment has a significant effect on your mental state. If it’s messy, you will feel more stressed and unmotivated. However, if it’s clean and aesthetic, you will feel more calm and motivated.
If you’re not sure how to set up (and maintain) an aesthetic space as a college student, check out the tips below!
Tip #5: Choose a Coordinated Color Scheme
Opt for a cohesive color palette for your bedding, decor, and furniture. This can create a harmonious and visually appealing atmosphere.
Tip #6: Personalize With Wall Decor
When I first moved into my dorm room, I couldn’t help but notice how blank and lifeless all the empty walls seemed. That’s where wall decor comes in!
You can hang artwork, tapestries, or posters that resonate with your interests. A cool idea is creating a collage with a mix of images, quotes, and artwork.
Tip #7: Add Soft Lighting
Putting up string lights, fairy lights, or LED strips can add a warm and cozy feel to your room. Also, consider desk lamps with adjustable brightness.
I’ve linked the one that I use here. It serves as a study light that keeps me from going blind (dorm lighting is terrible) and a penholder, and it even has a colorful rainbow light!
Tip #8: Introduce Greenery
If you don’t have a history of killing plants, consider bringing in indoor plants, like succulents and aloe vera, to create a more relaxing setting and improve air quality.
Tip #9: Invest in Stylish Storage Solutions
Dorm rooms are small, and you don’t want all your stuff piling up on your bookshelf or desk. To remove clutter and decorate your room, consider using decorative storage bins and desk organizers.
For ideas and tools to keep your desk organized, check out these student desk essentials for staying clutter-free in a small space!
Tip #10: DIY Art Projects
Get creative with DIY art projects. Create your own artwork, craft decorative items, or personalize existing pieces to make your room feel like yours.
When I moved into my dorm, one of the first things I did was hang up a macramé owl I made!
Tip #11: Experiment With Textures
Add rugs, curtains, and decorative pillows!
Tip #12: Keep Your Space Tidy
Make it a habit to always clean up after yourself. Wash plates and silverware immediately after using them (also, food gets harder to wash off the longer you leave it). Put away your schoolwork and stationery every night before bed.
Something that has helped me is setting aside one time block each week to do all my time-intensive chores: doing laundry, vacuuming the room, washing and replacing my sheets, wiping down surfaces, and putting things back where they belong.
Effective Morning Habits for An Aesthetic Morning Routine in College
Okay, now we’ll finally be getting into an aesthetic morning routine for college students!
Before we jump in, I want to provide a quick disclaimer that you do not need to do everything in this list or in the order that they appear. However, these are the habits that have helped me start my morning with momentum and carry it through the rest of the day. I hope they can help you achieve the same!
Tip #13: Use a Sunrise Alarm
Personally, I hate the feeling of being jolted awake by a phone alarm in the morning. I love having a sunrise alarm, which mimics natural sunlight and helps me feel more awake when I have to get up.
Tip #14: Drink a Lot of Water
After a night of sleep, your body needs to be hydrated. By drinking a tall glass of water, you can kickstart your metabolism and boost your mental clarity.
To make this easy to do, I always boil a kettle of water the night before.
Tip #15: Take Care of Your Hygiene
You don’t need to have an elaborate skincare ritual, but you should have a mindful hygiene routine that makes you feel refreshed and ready to face the day.
Right after drinking water, I change, do my hair, brush my teeth, wash my face, and do some light makeup. It wakes me up and makes me prepared to tackle the day.
Tip #16: Get Moving
Doing some form of physical activity has been a huge game-changer in getting my energy up in the morning. Some days, I do a full workout at the gym. On other days, I go on a walk or stretch for a bit.
Other options include a short yoga session or jamming to your favorite upbeat music. Physical movement releases endorphins, setting a positive tone for the day.
Tip #17: Take a Shower
If I do a sweaty workout in the morning, I take a shower right after. This helps me feel refreshed.
(If you’re not a morning shower person, you can definitely skip this step though.)
Tip #18: Eat a Nutritious Breakfast
I’ve personally always been a breakfast person. If I don’t eat breakfast, I find that I can’t focus well in the morning, am ravenous by lunch, and then end up in a food coma in the early afternoon.
Here are some quick and healthy breakfasts I’ve eaten a lot in college:
- Avocado toast topped with an egg
- Egg salad toast (Smash hard-boiled eggs with mayo, black pepper, and salt. I like topping my toast with arugula as well.)
- Yogurt bowl (I love plain Greek yogurt with berries, nut butter, and granola. I think I ate this almost every day of my first semester”¦)
- Oatmeal with toppings of your choice (I personally like adding fruit, nut butter, and yogurt.)
Here are some pictures of various breakfasts I made right in my dorm room this past week (also, I am not the best at taking pictures…):
Tip #19: Fit in a Deep Work Session
If your schedule allows, sit down for a deep work session. In my first semester, my first lecture was at 11 am, so I always tried to fit in two hours of work in the morning.
To maximize your productivity during this session, write down a to-do list and break down tasks into subtasks if they’re overwhelming.
I personally like to plan out my week in advance (follow this guide on exactly how to plan your week as a student). This way, I don’t feel overwhelmed by work during the week, a large part of which stems from decision paralysis of what I should be working on.
If you have trouble staying focused, I recommend checking out these guides to using the Forest app for studying and the Forest Chrome extension. Forest has helped me save so much time by preventing me from getting distracted by my phone and other Internet distractions.
I also recommend using the Pomodoro study method, as described in my post on effective study tips, and using an aesthetic study timer to set the mood for a productive session.
Personalizing Your Morning Routine as a College Student
If you truly want to stay consistent with your morning routine, you need to incorporate enjoyable morning rituals that make you look forward to getting up each day.
In this section of creating an aesthetic morning routine for college students, I’ll be covering some simple rituals you can incorporate into your routine.
Tip #20: Journal
This doesn’t have to take long””you can just write down a positive affirmation, some goals for the day, and how you want to feel by the end of the day.
I find that if I’m upset about something from the previous day, writing it down can also help me detach, gain clarity on the situation, and start my day afresh.
If you’ve never journaled before, learn how to start journaling for self-growth, and grab a free journal template!
Tip #21: Make a Favorite Drink
When I struggle with getting up (particularly in the winter months), I find that making a favorite drink gets me excited enough to get out of bed. My mom gave me an old espresso machine to bring to college, which I use to make cappuccinos and froth milk for matcha lattes.
However, even if you don’t have an espresso machine or coffee maker, you can make a hot cup of tea or buy instant coffee and froth milk with a portable frother.
Tip #22: Listen to a Podcast
I personally love science podcasts, but whether you enjoy informational or storytelling podcasts, listening to an episode can be an inspiring way to start the day.
Tip #23: Read
Reading for a few minutes in the morning is a much better way to start your day than scrolling through your phone. To be honest, this is something I struggled to incorporate into my morning routine in the past semester. This semester, I’m making it one of my goals to stop reaching for my phone in the morning and read a bit instead.
Here are some examples of things I enjoy reading (that don’t take too much time):
- Inspirational posts from my favorite Substack writers (P.S. I have a Substack blog, where I share more personal life updates, things I’ve been reading, and stuff I’ve been thinking about.)
- The news (The Morning Brew is a great daily newsletter that delivers a five-minute recap of technology, business, politics, and other major things going on in the world)
- A few pages of a book
- An article from a print magazine
Tip #24: Meditate
If you want a mindful start to your day that makes you feel calm and focused, consider meditating. If you’re a beginner, meditating may feel intimidating. However, there are many apps and YouTube videos with short guided meditations to help you get started.
Tip #25: Embrace Flexibility in Your Routine
My final tip is not an example of an activity to incorporate into your college morning routine. However, I wanted to include it because it’s important to recognize that you can’t expect yourself to be at one hundred percent 365 days of the year.
Your morning routine should feel like a luxury””a calm, refreshing start to the day””not a punishment that you force yourself through every day. Life is dynamic, and as a result, your morning will also fluctuate from day to day.
If I have an event that ends later than expected the night before, I let myself sleep in. If I have a busy schedule the next day, I cut down my morning routine to the bare essentials (making my bed, doing my hygiene routine, eating a satiating breakfast).
Or, if I wake up very sore from my workout the day before, I usually opt to skip going to the gym (or do something lighter like dynamic stretching and mobility).
Overview of Creating An Aesthetic Morning Routine for College Students
As a busy college student, it may seem impossible to have an aesthetic morning routine. However, having an enjoyable, consistent morning routine is actually key to managing your busy schedule and staying sane.
By waking up on time, sleeping on time, and following through with activities that set the mood for the day, you’ll find yourself more clear-headed and productive throughout the rest of the day.
As I described near the beginning of the post, setting up an aesthetic living space can have a significant impact on your motivation. Once you have personalized your space to your liking, you should consider incorporating these activities into your college morning routine:
- Using a sunrise alarm
- Drinking a big glass of water
- Following a hygiene routine
- Incorporating physical activity
- Taking a shower (if you’re a morning shower person or did a sweaty workout)
- Eating a nutritious breakfast
- Doing a deep work session (make sure to have a plan before starting work!)
Lastly, make sure to include at least one activity that makes you excited to get up each morning. For me, this has been making a delicious (caffeinated) drink every morning. However, I also listed several other options for inspiration.
I hope this post helped you realize that having an aesthetic morning routine in college is not only achievable but beneficial!
What activities are you planning on incorporating into your morning routine? Let me know in the comments below!
For more posts on college success, check out:
- 11 Genius Tips: How To Make Friends In College With Social Anxiety
- 43 Must-Have School Supplies for College””Everything You Need
- 22 Tips On How To Romanticize Studying & Make Studying Fun
- Best Aesthetic Note Taking App (Free & Easy-to-Use)
- How to Create an Aesthetic Notion Setup With Zero Experience
- Student Desk Essentials to Maximize Storage in a Small Space
Learning With Angie is a place to share honest, unfiltered advice to promote student success. So if you’re a student (high school, college, or beyond) looking for tips on productivity, studying, personal growth, and more to reach your potential, this is the place! To read more about Learning with Angie, click here.
About the Author: Team Angie
