Pros And Cons Of 8 AM Classes In College

Hate them or love them, 8 AM classes in college can be very useful. You get more free time within the day for other activities including part-time work.

Unfortunately, not everyone feels the same way about waking up early for class. Some students would rather prefer their classes later in the day.

This article will look at some of the pros and cons of such early classes and subsequently provide tips on how students can effectively manage them.

Pros Of 8 AM Classes

While individual students may experience unique benefits to early morning classes, we’ll be taking a look at the most common.

Check out these other top posts in this category:

• How Many Times Can You Transfer Colleges?
• Do Universities Have Summer Break?
• Does Life Get Better After High School?

Time For Other Activities

Early morning classes present an opportunity for students to undertake other activities during the day. Some college students work part-time to pay for their tuition and other bills.

Early morning classes provide them with enough time during the afternoon and evenings to take up part-time jobs or request additional hours of work.

Other students can also leverage the afternoons and evenings for other activities such as studying, socializing, or pursuing hobbies.

Finish Assignments/Study For Exams

Early morning classes provide enough time in the afternoon and evening, to work on assignments and also study for upcoming exams.

This can be beneficial, especially in cases where students have additional commitments in the afternoon in evenings. Students with heavy workloads would have more time to finish any assignments they may have.

Additionally, this can also help reduce stress and allow students more time free time to relax and recharge in the evening.

Consistent Schedule

Students can easily plan the remainder of their day without worrying about a class schedule interrupting their activities. In cases where students have early morning classes daily, it can help them to establish a consistent routine.

Great For Early Birds

Early morning classes can be a good fit for students who are naturally more alert and productive in the mornings. They’re able to focus and retain information easier as they feel more energized in the morning.

These students can then leverage the remainder of their day to complete other tasks or engage in self-care activities, such as exercise or hobbies.

Smaller Classes

Since the majority of students do not prefer early morning classes, these classes are typically smaller in size compared to later classes.

This presents a great opportunity for a more intimate and personalized learning experience. Since there’re fewer students in early morning classes, students have the opportunity to better interact with the professor and ask any questions they may have.

This can help them better understand difficult concepts and also stay engaged in class. That said, students who attend morning classes can be very serious and aren’t always the most social.

After all, the majority of these students have their reasons for choosing early classes. They may not have time to socialize after class as they may have jobs and other activities, which is typically the reason why they joined the morning classes in the first place.

Beat Traffic

Rush hour traffic may be a tremendous annoyance and result in considerable delays depending on where you live and the local traffic patterns.

Students who live off-campus and have a long commute may be able to avoid some of the worst traffic jams, making early morning classes more convenient. Additionally, finding a convenient parking spot also becomes easier for these students.

Quiet Campus

Campus environments aren’t always the quietest places. With various classes and activities including construction and maintenance working ongoing, there’s always something that can serve as a source of distraction to an ongoing class.

Fortunately, campuses can be quieter and less crowded early in the morning. This can result in little to no noise and distractions that come with the typical busy campus environment.

Real-World Preparation

Companies typically require their employees to arrive at work early in the morning. Early morning classes in college help prepare students for the demands of the working world.

Students who leverage early morning classes develop the habit of waking up early which can be essential in their transition into the corporate world.

These students develop good time management skills which equip them to better handle the demands of college life and subsequently workplace life.

Cons Of 8 AM Classes

While there’re some good benefits to these early morning classes, there’re also several drawbacks.

Likely To Skip

Unless you’re a morning person, 8 AM classes are the easiest to skip even for serious students. Students who aren’t morning people may find it difficult to get up for early morning classes.

These students are more likely to skip 8 AM classes which can negatively impact their academic performance.

Feelings Of Fatigue

Without a pre-existing habit of waking up early in the morning, it can be difficult to make it in time for 8 AM classes. This can lead to reduced energy, decreased motivation, and difficulty concentrating during class.

Some students may even carry the feeling of fatigue and sleepiness throughout their day which makes class attendance counterproductive.

These students would be unable to pay attention or even actively engage in classroom activities throughout the day.

Difficulty Waking Up

Some students who are unable to wake up may end up missing classes. We’ve all been there before at some point in our lives.

We set an alarm to wake up at a specific time only to realize we missed the alarm by a few hours. This happens a lot in college as students sometimes have various activities in addition to their class schedules.

Without adequate self-discipline and motivation, it can be difficult for students to wake up for early morning classes.

Limited Social Opportunities

Students who take up 8 AM classes aren’t the most social. Additionally, these classes aren’t the most popular among students which results in fewer students in these classes compared to normal classes.

Unfortunately, this presents fewer opportunities for students to socialize and interact with each other. Additionally, most students who prefer early morning classes typically have jobs and other commitments to attend to right after class.

This makes 8 AM classes especially challenging for students, new to the school environment, and looking to make friends.

Inconvenient Scheduling

Early morning classes aren’t always very convenient for students. Students who have jobs and other extracurricular activities may need to make adjustments to their schedules to make it for 8 AM classes.

Students who prefer to study or socialize later in the evening would need to modify their plans so they can get enough sleep before such morning classes. They typically have little choice but to go to bed early, if they want to make it for these early morning classes.

Limited Access To Resources

While this may depend on the university, some school resources may not be available early in the morning. A typical example is the school library being unavailable early in the morning as it may be undergoing some cleaning activities.

Underperformance

Dozing off in class can lead to students missing relevant information. On the other hand, students who’re unable to attend these early morning classes may also struggle to catch up on class activities which can result in poor performance.

Strategies To Manage 8 AM Classes

While students may sometimes have multiple class schedule options to choose from, most classes have fixed periods. In cases where a class has a fixed 8 AM schedule, there’re various strategies students can implement.

Establish Consistent Sleep Schedule

Sufficient sleep is essential to waking up early. So, to avoid oversleeping, it’s advisable to establish a consistent sleep schedule that allows enough sleep each night. This enables students to wake up refreshed and on time for their early morning classes.

Avoid Late-Night Studying Or Socializing

Studying is important but students should plan their study time, putting into consideration their early morning classes. The same applies to socializing.

Even in cases where students have to attend social events in the evening, they should keep in mind their 8 AM classes and plan enough rest before their class. Don’t just stay up all night or too late regularly.

They can either choose to leverage their free time to get some rest during the day to make up for any limited sleep they may get during the night or simply plan enough sleep for the whole night.

Keep Alarm Clock From Arm’s Length

It’s easy to hit the snooze button or even simply mute your phone if it’s right next to you. To ensure that your alarm does its job of waking you up, it’s advisable to keep it away from you. This makes it difficult to silent the phone when the alarm rings.

Use A Loud Alarm Clock

If you’re a deep sleeper, it’s advisable to use a loud alarm clock. In case you’re using your phone, make sure the alarm volume is set at the appropriate level to increase effectiveness. If your phone won’t be effective, it’s advisable to get a real alarm clock.

Work In The Afternoon

Tackle any assignments and other activities you may have in the afternoon if your classes are all in the morning. Avoid any form of procrastination as it would lead to working at night.

Schedule any activities you may have during the day, instead of working through the night. This gives you enough time to relax and wake up refreshed for your morning class.