Why I Love My 8:30AM Classes

Oh, 8:30 AM college classes. So controversial, so divisive. You either love them or you hate them, and most students tend to hate them. Granted, when I hear the sound of my alarm going off at 7:45 AM, interrupting my dreams and removing me from the warmth of my comforter, three times per week, I hate them too. I wonder why I chose this class slot. I think about the winter morning windchill ever-present in this small Western Massachusetts college town that I’ll have to brave during my walk to class. But then, the moment class is dismissed at 9:45 AM, I realize why I did this. 

First of all, waking up early, even though I hate it when I’m doing it, allows me to enjoy my day for longer. Especially during the winter months, an extra bit of sunlight is never a bad thing! It makes me more ready to take on the day, giving me that very noticeable uptick in productivity I need not just to survive, but to thrive. Waking up early allows for my body to get sleepy earlier as well, which we all know is healthy! When I wake up at 7:45 AM, I have more time to bask in the beauty of this campus’s scenery and how blessed I am to attend this college. I can slow down. It is a moment of gratitude that I highly appreciate, since we often forget to just stop and take in all the joy around us due to the constant bustle of life. 

Additionally, it gives me more free time. Once class is over at 9:45 AM, I am free to do whatever I please. I have the whole day to myself. This does wonders for my mental health, since now I have more time to study, which builds into more time for self-care. If I’m done studying earlier, I can go rest earlier as well. This starts a cycle that leads to a marvelous work-life balance. Last semester, I had a class at 1:45 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays; that led to those days being extremely unproductive. During the morning interval, I wouldn’t do any work because it didn’t feel like enough time, and after class, I was too tired. Therefore, my work would pile up and I’d be super stressed. Now that I have all morning classes, I am actually ahead in my work and I started reading for leisure again due to all the free time!

Last but not least, professors know it’s hard. They know it sucks to have to wake up early and go to class. They wish they could sleep in, too! That’s why I feel as if they try very hard to make it a pleasant experience for everyone in the classroom. My 8:30 AM professor is always cracking jokes, smiling, and chatting with us. She is very understanding of our yawns and delays to answer questions, and always guides us through it. She will explain a concept 10 times until you get it, and she’ll make sure to let you know it’s not a big deal: “I get it, it’s 8 in the morning!” Therefore, due to the professors’ constant effort, 8:30 AMs are always a joy.

I used to be very against morning classes. Last semester, my earliest class was at 10 AM, and I still complained about having to wake up for it! However, after the scheduling fiasco I had with my 1:45 PM, I had to make the hard choice to wake up even earlier. That turned out to be the best decision I ever made. Now, I will always choose the early classes with a smile on my face! 

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