CREDIT: TAKING AN EARLY CLASS MAY SEEM LIKE A PRACTICAL THING TO DO, BUT THERE CAN ACTUALLY BE REPERCUSSIONS OF DOING SO.
Taking an early class may seem like a practical thing to do, but there can actually be repercussions of doing so.

Toronto — (CUP) I honestly considered myself a morning person until 8 a.m. classes screwed with my mental concentration. I’ve learned my lesson—I dedicated my entire summer to getting as much sleep as possible just in case I have to take an early morning class this year.

Take it from someone who lives about 20 minutes away from Ryerson by walking distance. In my first year, I struggled getting up for morning classes. I either slept through an 8 a.m. lecture or was half awake thinking about going to sleep. It got even worse when I had a class at the Cineplex Cinemas near Yonge-Dundas Square. Over there, the seats are so comfortable that I slept like a baby.

Unless you’re absolutely required to take it, do whatever necessary to avoid an 8 a.m. Whether that requires you to find a class at another time or taking a whole different course, 8 a.m. classes aren’t worth it. The more you miss, the more work you’ll have to put in later finding notes.

When you’re exhausted after class, you’ll also have no desire to be on campus. Instead, you’ll likely miss out on activities when you go home to bed to catch up on sleep.

A study from the U.S. National Sleep Foundation suggests young adults between the ages of 18-25 need approximately seven to nine hours of sleep to function properly, but good luck getting any consistency with an 8 a.m. class on your schedule.

For those that have to travel from the Mississauga or Brampton area, there’s a good chance that making a class at this time won’t even be possible.

The commute convinced Matt Knarr, a fourth-year film student, to scrap 8 a.m. classes from his schedule for good. “I did it, everyone I know did it, we all regreted it,” he said.

Knarr said the crowds and traffic make the commute “crazy” to the point where you could miss your class altogether. And if you do make it, you won’t retain anything since it’s so damn early.

“I just come to class and I’m a dead person,” said Muhammad Affan Amin, a third-year civil engineering student. “If I come early then I have to go home early as well. If I come at 1 o’clock then I can leave (at) at least 9-10 o’clock.”

No matter how many complaints students make to the university, the dreadful 8 a.m. has always stuck around. But trust me on this one, I thought I could get over an early class and have the rest of the day ahead; I was wrong.

The amount of hours I’ve wasted sleeping during the day when I could’ve spent time being productive, catching up on work, hanging with friends or even volunteering for events, is time I’ll never get back. If you don’t want your university experience to only consist of eat, sleep, repeat, don’t take an 8 a.m. It ruins the rest of your day. You become so tired and miss out on so many chances to experience what Ryerson has to offer.

If you snooze, you won’t lose.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.