When making my schedule at Monmouth for the first time I was sure I wanted to try the evening classes and sleep in like any incoming freshman would want. But to my surprise, it was my days with the 8:30am classes that were the best days. Of course there are some pros and cons to every situation; for 8:30am courses here is what I came up with:
Pros-
1. Parking—If you are a commuter like I am, you will know that the absolute best part about 8:30am classes is the parking situation. You can basically park in absolutely any lot and spot that you want. Parking is such a struggle, and with the current freshman class commuter body being larger than usual, parking has been especially tough this fall semester.
2. Your Day is Shorter—It may seem like it would suck to have just one 8:30am class on one day, but, personally I loved that. Your day is so much shorter than everyone else’s. Think about it. By the time you finish your day, the majority of students are only just starting. And, if you only have that one class in a day, think about all of the on-campus errands you need to run that you can get done afterward. And it always leaves time to go out for breakfast…Did someone mention Turning Point? You can feel accomplished because you’re already done with classes for the day (or for a while at least).
3. It’s Quiet—Campus at 8:30am is absolutely beautiful. It is quiet and calm. Going to 8:30’s are just generally more peaceful. No one is honking and driving crazily all over the parking lots, there aren’t people in large groups talking loudly around you, and people are generally nicer when it is earlier. Everyone is still tired, so it just gives the campus a mellower vibe.
4. Scheduling—When making your semester schedules, you can be sure that if your class has an 8:30am section that it won’t be booked right away. This is especially handy for general education courses. As you get further and further into your college career, the class sections/times become more and more selective and difficult, but for general education requirements, 8:30am classes are easy to get into and therefore are less likely to interfere with your major courses.
Cons-
1. Sleep Deprivation—Yes, of course you’re going to be more exhausted having to get up earlier. This is extremely rough, especially for those people who are night owls. If you have an 8:30am, it is best to get to bed by at least 11:00pm, but for a lot of people this just is not doable.
2. Coffee—Having to get up that early, many students feel as though they would not be able to function without some caffeine to wake them up. But, coffee isn’t cheap. Unfortunately, if you need coffee to operate for an 8:30am class you’ll need the cash to satisfy that need.
3. Rushing—With 8:30am classes it is harder to get ready in time without jeopardizing your sleeping time. If you don’t have your outfit picked out or you oversleep just 5 minutes, your whole morning could be thrown off and you could be late to class. And if you don’t add time in your morning to eat breakfast you could be going to class on an empty stomach.
4. Cancellations—For the most part, 8:30am’s are rarely cancelled. When it comes to days with inclement weather, 8:30am classes end up being a sort of guinea pig for the rest of the day. So, especially if you are commuting, this could be an issue. But, even for those living on campus, no one wants to walk in the snow to class that early just to find out that the rest of the day has been cancelled.
Personally, I do still love my 8:30am classes. It seems like the cons would outweigh the pros for most people, but that is what makes these early classes so great—everyone else avoids them. Parking spots and scheduling are two very stressful things that are relieved a great deal when one simply takes an 8:30am class.
When it becomes too much for me and I start questioning myself on why I would force myself to get up so early, I remind myself of a famous quote of Benjamin Franklin’s: “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Getting up early pays off. It allows you to fully take advantage of as many hours of the day as you can.
IMAGE TAKEN from revistavilanova.com
