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New Research Says Starting University Classes at 11am or Later Would Improve Learning (qz.com)
Using a sample of first- and second-year college students at the University of Nevada-Reno in the US and Britain's Open University, a group of researchers analyzed students' cognitive performance throughout the day and found that the best learning happened in classes that began later in the morning. From a report: Since every person's chronotype, or sleep pattern, is slightly different, there isn't one universal start time to benefit everyone -- but according to students' survey responses as well as theoretical data on circadian rhythms parsed by the researchers, starting classes at 11am or later benefits the greatest number of students. The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience this week, bolsters prior research indicating that teenagers learn better with late starts; it also extends the studied age group from high school students to college sophomores and freshmen.
One semester I had a Monday 8am lecture, only lecture for that class.
Never made it to a single one. Never met the professor once. Still passed the course, somehow.
I went to West Point - missing a class resulted in disciplinary action. I had one professor that was so bad at teaching (one of my math classes) that I had to use my infinitely valuable free period to sit in ANOTHER professor's identical class to try learning something so I could pass - because failing a course also results in disciplinary action (and dismissal from school).
Part of me is jealous that you got to skate by, and part of me is grateful that schools like yours exist to distinguish schools like mine.
This would seem to be the best solution. Play reveille on the dorm's PA system every morning at 6:00AM. Breakfast will be served promptly at 6:30 AM at the mess hall a two mile jog from the dorms. A jog back to the dorm and hot water will be available for showers from 7:30 to 8:00 AM. Then its off to class.
We'll just call this an intro course: Life Responsibility 101.
Have gnu, will travel.
I hate when people have this view on the military. We are not mindless robots, nor are we trained to be. Sure, initial training seems like it, but it's only because at that level you don't necessarily have the whole picture of what needs to happen, what's happening, and how to complete the mission. There are times where you need to follow orders and times where you can question the current plan.
I rank this right there with all military are conservative, racist, violent, or arrogant.
You probably got bonus points for being the only student who showed up. I once showed up for an optional final exam - I needed (I think) a B or better on the final to bump my grade from a B to an A. I was the only one who showed up, so when the professor walked in, hands full of exam papers, he looked at me and said, "what the hell, you get an A. Go home."
Proud neuron in the Slashdot hivemind since 2002.
1. In universities, faculty typically use off hours to work on research, so having time in the morning to do so is hardly going to be a problem for them. Staff wouldn't really need to change their hours since they don't manage classes.
2. You could, but you'd have to compromise on course load, course planning, whatever.
3. 9 a.m. is pretty damned early in my opinion. I know other people think 9 a.m. is ridiculously late. But, frankly, it doesn't matter what anyone thinks. The question is how being up and doing cognitive work affects people at various hours of the day. This study seems to provide a not unreasonable answer.
4. This is also a good argument for not necessarily starting work at early hours in the day. I know back when I had a job where I didn't set my own hours, getting in at 8 meant I was basically useless until about 11. At worst, I was barely working at all, and at best I was doing fiddly busywork until my brain was ready for something meaningful.