A healthy daily routine will form the foundation of your success as a student. It’s worth thinking about how you can set yourself up to achieve your dreams and be the best version of yourself. Follow these easy steps to create a daily routine that will help you excel as a student.

1. Get Up Early

Perhaps the most useful thing for the daily routine of a student is developing a schedule to get up early. If you wake up around 5 a.m. to get ready for school, eat breakfast and enjoy some free time, you’ll have a great chance to be at your best once you get to class. By getting up earlier, you can have time to review your class notes to keep everything fresh in your mind. You can also stay on top of your hygiene, ensuring you have clean clothes and new replacement toothbrush heads at the ready.

Students who wake up earlier will do better in their morning classes, have better focus and concentration and get better grades than those who wake up later. This also sets a routine that can follow you far past your schooling and into work life. Many successful people are known to be early risers, so getting used to waking up early and starting your day around 5 a.m. could be setting yourself up for greatness.

However, getting up early each day is only effective when you get enough sleep. Teens need more sleep than adults, from 9 to 9.5 hours, so sleeping 8 hours might not be enough for you, depending on your age. Make sure you’re getting to bed as early as needed to get a good night’s rest.

If you have trouble getting to bed early enough to wake up early, you might be hardwired to be a night owl. If that’s the case, adjust your routine to work with your natural sleep or wake cycles.

2. Practice Good Hygiene

Did you know that dentists recommend brushing your teeth before breakfast to help protect your teeth instead of brushing them after you eat? Whether you are a young student in middle school or an adult in college, brushing your teeth and practicing good hygiene are crucial.

Brushing your teeth can be a boring task, so keep things exciting with a sonic toothbrush for kids or treat yourself to luxury toothpaste. Practicing good hygiene with the best teeth-whitening products will leave you feeling confident for the school day ahead of you!

3. Set Aside Time to Study

Studying is the most important thing you can do as a student. By allocating a specific amount of time every day for studying, you can build your perfect daily routine as a student.

Make sure to be specific when making your daily schedule. For example, instead of saying, “I need to spend two hours studying,” try: “I need to study math or English from 5 to 7 p.m. after dinner every night. There will be no TV or internet, and studying will be the only focus.” Saying this might sound easier said than done, but behaviors are built from habit. Take it one day at a time.

This habit will become particularly handy in college, where you will have to juggle many different subjects — not to mention all the other extracurriculars and challenges. It is suggested that for every credit hour of college, a student should spend two to three hours studying. Maintaining a healthy daily schedule with specific, dedicated study time will make this intense academic experience much more manageable.

4. Exercise Daily

Everyone needs exercise to stay in shape and keep their body and mind healthy. Ensuring you stay active is one of the main priorities of developing and maintaining a healthy daily routine. For example, 10-minute morning yoga and stretches or even walking a dog around the block can help get your heart and brain going in the morning and keep you motivated and feeling great throughout the day.

Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel good, so daily exercise can help you maintain a positive outlook on life and be more resilient against school stressors. Exercise also reduces the risk of developing health conditions like heart disease, anxiety and depression.

5. Eat a Healthy Diet

Maximizing your nutritional intake can be challenging if you’re a student with a busy schedule. Still, junk food can cause damage to your health over time and ultimately work against you as you try to succeed. Give meal planning a try, and spend a weekend cooking meals you can grab and take with you through the week.

Improving your overall diet is better than adding or avoiding specific foods. Having a better diet can ease anxiety about removing “unhealthy” options and help you make healthier long-term choices instead of reacting to how you feel in the moment.

The Bottom Line

By following these steps, dedicating time to your success and making it fun, you can maintain a healthy daily routine that will help you achieve your goals. Practicing good hygiene, getting enough sleep, waking up early, setting up dedicated study time, exercising daily and eating a healthy diet are everything a student needs to be the best they can be.