Controversial! Why 9.00 am lectures are actually fabulous
The surprising benefits of getting to university early
As a student, you’ll know that fear when you first look at your timetable and pray ‘please don’t have any 9ams… please don’t have any 9ams…’.
The dreaded 9.00 am lecture or tutorial is a phenomenon that has haunting students throughout time. If you’ve got lucky and avoided early starts so far, I’m sure you take every opportunity possible to boast about your lie in.
You’re not going to like what I’m going to say from here on in. because I really didn’t like 9ams. That was until I was blessed with having three 9.00 am starts every week.
Now?
I love them.
Waking up for 9ams means gone are the days that you roll out of bed at 1 o’clock in the afternoon and waste the rest of the day curled up in your dressing gown, like a lazy little hermit.
Instead welcome a brand-new morning you, who has the whole day ahead of them.
Free by lunch
9ams give you the gift of time, which you can choose to use in any way you like. You’ll probably have finished uni by lunch time, leaving the rest of the day to do anything you want. This (hopefully) should boost your productivity, meaning goodbye all nighters the day before your deadline; hello organised uni work.
It also gives you more time to do the things you enjoy, whether that be going to the gym, cooking, hanging with friends, or just having a super long Netflix marathon to reward yourself for going to your 9am.
And relax…
My personal favourite reason that I love getting to uni for 9.00 am is that when I come back home my housemates are just readying themselves to go to their lectures. I tell you, nothing fills you with joy quite like knowing they still have to go into uni while you can just smugly sit back and relax.
A gentle introduction to life
Another reason why 9.00 ams are great is that they prepare you for real life. Because, believe it or not, you can’t just turn up to work whenever you feel like it. Getting used to waking up at stupid o’clock will make sure you are ready for life after uni and all the early mornings that come with it.
A fitter you?
Getting up early also has loads of health benefits. I’m aware that while literally dragging yourself out of bed and walking round like some sort of sleep-deprived zombie may not feel like it but getting into an early morning routine really does have some amazing health benefits.
With more focus
It helps enhance your concentration, therefore not only are you going to your 9.00 ams, you’ll also be more focused. That makes going to that lecture extra worthwhile as the information should stick in .
It’ll also mean you are sleepier earlier, making it easier to develop a good sleeping pattern where eventually you will wake up early feeling refreshed. Waking up earlier is also said to reduce stress levels, meaning you’ll be waking up to a brand new stress-free you.
And better grades
Want to do better in your degree without even trying? A study by Texas university found students achieved higher grades when they got up earlier. This is because you’ll be more alert and have more time to focus on your studies. Therefore, getting up earlier could be the answer we’ve all be searching for.
What’s not to love?
Your 9.00 am lectures give you the gift of time, productivity, health benefits and better grades. So why wouldn’t you love them?
So next time you’re looking at your university timetable your mantra will be ‘please have 9ams, please have 9ams’.
By Charlotte Booth