Buzzzzzzzzz! It’s 6 a.m. on a Monday morning. You turn off your alarm clock, roll out of bed and stumble toward your closet. Once your eyes are actually open wide enough to see inside, you begin to search for something to wear.

Now, you’re faced with a decision: Sure, you could fall into your usual rut of wearing Victoria’s Secret sweatpants and Ugg boots to class yet again. Or you could be the fearless, fashionable self I know you can be and actually put some thought into what you’re going to wear to class that day.

I’d be willing to bet that you spent all of elementary school and/or high school complaining about the dress code, no matter how lenient. So why not take advantage of that freedom of self-expression in college and experiment with how you dress? Chances are when you graduate, you’ll have an even stricter dress code in the workplace.

I know, I know! It’s so hard to dress up in the morning when college is virtually the only place where it’s socially acceptable to wear what you wore to bed the night before to class the next day. But just because you wish you were still in bed doesn’t mean you should bring the bedroom attire with you.

There are so many ways you can dress up for class without sacrificing style for the sake of comfort. Try wearing jeggings instead of jeans. They’ll feel as comfortable as regular leggings but look like denim — I won’t tell if you won’t.

And you can pair those jeggings with a flowy, boho-chic blouse. The fit will be loose like a sweatshirt but will look so much more pulled together. Then throw on some stylish ballet flats and accessories to make the outfit pop effortlessly.

Now, was that so hard?

Dressing up for class might seem more daunting than your 8 a.m. organic chemistry exam, but trust me when I tell you that it’s worth it. On the days I actually have fun with fashion, I notice I’m instantly in a better mood: I walk faster, I keep my head up and I feel much more confident. Everyone deserves to look and feel her best at all times, and she can if she makes the effort.

Besides, you wouldn’t want to be caught looking like a hot mess on the day Brad Pitt actually decides to show up on campus, would you? I didn’t think so.