Study links 8 a.m. classes to better GPAs

While many students try to avoid adding an 8 a.m. class to their schedules, a newly released study suggests waking up for those early morning courses could boost a student's GPA.

After surveying 253 college students, psychologists at St. Lawrence University in New York found students who need to wake up earlier for class tend to maintain a more practical daily routine and sleeping patterns while avoiding late-night activities, and the study's findings suggested such students tend to get higher grades, The Washington Post reported. On the flip side, students who take classes later in the afternoon or evening tended to go to more parties and consume more alcohol during the week, translating into less sleep and lower grades.

Behavioral and community health professor Stacey Daughters — who directs the university's Stress, Health and Addiction Research Program — said the study's results align with her program's findings.

"When a student sets a stringent everyday routine, it sets the stage for an earlier bedtime at night," she said. "Therefore, a student may be less likely to stay up at night and drink alcohol, which affects how well a person sleeps and their overall performance the next day."

Some professors said they did not notice much of a difference in performance or attendance between their 8 a.m. sections and those they taught later in the day.

"[Classes] go great," said chemistry professor Bryan Eichhorn, who teaches an 8 a.m. class, CHEM 131: Fundamentals of General Chemistry on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. "It's just a whole lot quieter since it's earlier in the morning."

And several students who take Eichhorn's 8 a.m. class said having to wake up earlier than they would like forces them to adopt more study-friendly routines.

"Sometimes the lack of sleep makes it a whole lot worse, but I definitely don't go out as much as I used to at all," sophomore kinesiology major Molly Warner said. "I study on weekends rather than go out now and study during the weekdays a whole lot more."

However, some students said an 8 a.m. class doesn't necessarily correlate into an earlier bedtime.

"I always sleep through my class," said sophomore biology major Walter Medina. "It just kind of messes up the entire week."

Additionally, the study found a strong correlation between later classes and heavier drinking on school nights.

"If their time is more structured and more goal-oriented as they would be if they had an 8 a.m., they are more likely to use their time effectively and less likely to abuse alcohol late at night," Daughters said.

However, the study does not indicate that 8 a.m. classes may be the best pick for every student, according to Daughters.

"It depends on the student," she said. "Some students, even if they have an 8 a.m. class, that does not stop them from going out or even failing class."

Health center officials said most of a student's success depends upon their priorities and work ethic, rather than what time his or her classes are scheduled.

"There are some people who are just ‘morning people' and some who are just ‘night owls,' and their bodies function well like this," Meghan Cohen, a health center coordinator, wrote in an email. "The important thing is that a student can be successful in early or late classes if he/she has the proper tools: time management, stress management, exercise and proper nutrition, and good sleep behaviors."

villanueva@umdbk.com