Starting this week, we are diving head-deep into the new semester. If you’re just like me and my friends, you probably have no motivation to wake up and start attending classes again. How about we motivate each other to wake up in the morning?  

Now, I am not here to give you hope –that you can get from our Sparks of Hope article written by Yasmin. I will, however, give you a few slightly stupid and ridiculous reasons to wake up this new semester.  

Start placing bets on whether the vending machine will have energy drinks  

Have you noticed that the deeper you go into semester, the less likely you are to get an energy drink from a vending machine on campus? I think I’ve seen it empty way more often than I’ve seen my father. What if I tell you that you can turn this into a fun game to play with your friends?  

Each morning before stepping your foot on campus place bets on whether or not you will be able to get some energy on campus this time around. Don’t go too high unless you’re sure of your chances though, - we don’t want students to go even more broke! Then, gather a group of willing (or unwilling) participants and go downstairs to check the stock. Nothing brings people together as much as good old gambling!  

Picture rights belong to freepik.com

Form a one-sided rivalry  

Nothing can fuel you with hope for the new semester more than hate. I think everyone has at least one annoyingly obnoxious person in their class that no one likes, but somehow no one is brave enough to put in their place. What would that even do? Try telling them your opinion of them and they’ll just become 10 times more annoying.  

What if I tell you there’s a way to piss them off without ruining your image? Outshine them. Be the person that does everything better than them: better grades, more connections, better ideas. Make sure not to tell them about your newfound rivalry though, keep it civil. That way not only will you get the satisfaction of being better than them – but you will also work on yourself in spheres that you might’ve ignored before.

Picture credits go to Freepik.com

You need to be awake to drink 

That’s right, who doesn’t like drinking? If you chose to stay sober, then I applaud you – because I could never. Is having alcoholism as your motivation healthy? Not in the slightest, but we are not here to be healthy – we are here to be motivated and wake up in the morning. Last time I checked people can’t drink if they’re asleep – so there you go. Let the thoughts of getting wasted in the evening be the perfect motivation to go to your morning classes. If the assignment is starting to feel extra hard and you don’t have any lectures that day – just do it drunk. Trust me, not only will it make it more fun – you will also get a good laugh the morning after when you check what you wrote. Just don’t drink on campus!  

Make your employed friends pay for your lunch 

Who has money to pay for groceries? Certainly not me! Have you seen the prices in the stores lately? It’s cheaper to eat instant noodles than to even attempt to be healthy. Not that the food at Breda University of Applied Sciences is healthy per se, but it definitely is something! Half of the time the food is at least edible, and there are always some healthy (or are they?) and cheap soup options. Although I’m not going to lie, I still have no clue what the “forgotten vegetable soup” is all about…  

Going back to the topic of being broke, if you can’t afford to buy groceries – you probably can’t afford to buy food at the school cafeteria either. That’s where your friends come in! Everyone knows at least one or two people who still live with their parents or have a good, stable job outside of classes. Use them for your own benefit! Make that your motivation to wake up early and attend the lectures! Luckily, most of my friends are rich enough to get me a cup of soup on a school day.  

Hungry? Time to go to classes!  

Keep waking up out of spite 

Spite them all! Everyone! Your friends, parents, rivals, unsupportive teachers… prove them wrong! Make them regret not believing in you! Even if you don’t believe in yourself as well. Surely there are at least a few people who didn’t believe that you could even get into college, but here you are, maybe not exactly thriving, but alive! Fake it till you make it and make them believe that you’re actually working on yourself and enjoying your twenties.