As a night owl, I despise waking up early for class. The night before, I begrudgingly set my alarm for the next morning and embrace my regret of registering for an early class. Although waking up early is difficult, the 9 a.m. lecture is the best motivator for productivity and academic achievement. 

9 a.m. may seem early for some, but it’s much later than the 7:45 a.m. lecture, which is a night owl’s true worst nightmare. In comparison, waking up around 8 a.m. is more preferable. Even the 8:45 a.m. lecture appears so much earlier than a 9 a.m. one, even though it is only 15 minutes later. 

By the time I’m in my early-morning class, I’m awake and ready for an hour of lecture. Most 9 a.m. lectures occur on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, which reduces the class duration to 65 minutes instead of the 100 minutes that Tuesday-Thursday classes are. As such, it’s far easier to motivate myself to attend a shorter class in the morning. 

The 9 a.m. lecture creates the perfect time to grab a coffee and get prepared for the rest of the day, and with Jewell time right after the 9 a.m. lecture, I can successfully prepare for my later classes or take a much-needed social break to decompress.

Early lectures also motivate students to go to bed earlier, benefiting their long-term health. Science shows that waking up early is good for improved mental health and focus throughout the rest of the day. Without a 9 a.m. class motivating me to wake up, it would be more difficult to push myself to wake up early and do homework.

For student-athletes or others involved with extracurriculars, having a 9 a.m. class is necessary due to their obligations later in the day. Personally, it clears up my schedule for more homework and social time during the rest of the day.

The 9 a.m. class — although incessantly hated — is an essential, and appreciated, part of my schedule.