The most common piece of advice upperclassmen offer freshmen is to avoid morning classes like the plague. Supposedly, after over 15 years of waking up at the crack of dawn, something about college life makes it unbearable. Eager to take advantage of the freedom to sleep in, students sign up for afternoon classes and endure the hassles of commuting at the same time as the majority of their peers.
The ease of commuting to campus early in the morning makes waking up early seem like a small price to pay. It’s no secret parking on campus can be a nightmare for students, but in the morning, it’s a dream. You’re basically guaranteed a nice spot close to your classes. Commuting early makes driving to class easier as well. In the morning, you beat part of the 9 to 5 rush. For those who live on streets filled with student-friendly apartment complexes like Ben Hur or Burbank, you also beat the rush of fellow students headed to campus.
Early classes also make it easier to have a more productive day. Finishing class before noon means you still have the entire day to study and finish all of your homework. Sure, students could wake up early and finish their work before afternoon classes, but how often does that happen? This also cuts down on the need to pull all-nighters, which helps students get enough sleep to make morning classes bearable.
For students with jobs or extracurricular activities, morning classes can cut down on the scheduling conflicts. Nearly all school activities occur in the afternoon, which means people with morning classes will usually be available. Having free afternoons also makes it easier to get an off-campus job because employers don’t have to do as much maneuvering around your schedule.
Even science is in favor of it. An article in the Wall Street Journal discussed the body’s best time to do certain tasks. Late morning was the best time for adults to do cognitive work, which makes doing your homework right after class the logical choice. The article also mentioned a study that found people to be more easily distracted from noon to 4 p.m. with peak sleepiness occurring around 2 p.m., which indicates it’s not the best timeframe for taking classes.
The majority of college students plan to take jobs with hours ranging from 9 to 5, so we may as well get acquainted to the early morning routine before we have to cope with all of the responsibilities and stresses of the “real world.” Waking up early really isn’t that bad — the sky is beautiful, there aren’t as many people out and about and you have your whole day ahead of you. At least give morning classes a chance for one semester. They may surprise you.
Osie Evans is a 20-year-old English junior from Natchitoches, Louisiana.