By attending a virtual school, iUP students have the freedom to work at whatever time they want! As helpful as this flexibility can be, it begs the question, is it better to work in the morning or the evening? For early birds, it may be a good idea to knock out all of your assigned schoolwork in the early hours of the day. On the other hand, for those with busier schedules, finishing your work later in the day may be the way to go.

Working Early in the Morning

Have you ever heard the phrase, “The early bird gets the worm?” Waking up early to finish schoolwork may seem like an impossible task to some students, while it is easily achievable for others. The question is, is this always beneficial? Students like Marcus Bamber (10th Grade) find that their brains are the freshest in the morning, and therefore try to get their harder assignments done first, leaving the more time-consuming tasks for the afternoon and evening. For him, this strategy, paired with Parkinson’s Law, leaves him with not only an efficient schedule, but also outstanding grades! In fact, notable studies, including, “When are College Students Most Productive?” by Daniel J. Taylor, Ph.D, have shown that the brain is far more capable of learning and retaining new information earlier in the day. According to this study, students who considered themselves “early birds” averaged a full point higher than their “night owl” counterparts on the GPA scale. This evidence seems rather compelling, but what are some disadvantages to working early in the morning?

While some students may feel fresh and ready to learn in the morning, others may need a period of time to wake up before they are prepared to tackle their schoolwork. Additionally, some students choose to complete less challenging assignments as a warm-up before moving on to the more difficult work in the evening. This is an understandable choice, because let’s face it, not all of us are morning people. It is important to understand that if a student decided to start waking up earlier, they would likely have to adjust the time they get to bed to maintain a healthy sleep schedule. This change can be challenging, but it is very important to receive a healthy amount of sleep in order to function as well as possible the next day.

Working Late into the Evening

For those with busier schedules with conflicts spread throughout the day, staying up later may be the way to go. Later in the evening, there are typically fewer distractions, making it easier for students to focus solely on the assignments ahead of them. Whether it is the late-night grind to prevent overdue work or to help get ahead, staying up late is a solid choice for those willing to put in the extra effort. During late-hour work, students tend to enter “the zone” easier and are able to be more productive. This can lead to students achieving their goals and getting more work done than they would have been able to do during the day.

While some students may find that staying up late is more productive, it can unfortunately lead to loss of sleep and inconsistent sleep schedules. Especially at a young age, sleep is crucial for growth and should be a priority for all younger students. Sleep deprivation can have many unhealthy side effects and should be avoided when possible. Stress is a valid concern when talking about school, but cramming every assignment in at the last minute can put more pressure on students. Just like losing sleep, this can negatively affect students and their performance in school and other activities. Another trade-off for working late at night is that students and friends are often more active in chats which can be distracting. This can cause students to get off track and fail to get all of their work done. These simple distractions can lead to many problems in the future for many students and can even lead to overdue assignments.

What We Can Conclude

Whether a student is an early bird or a night owl depends entirely on what they prefer. When it comes to schoolwork, both options have their strengths and weaknesses. We find that the best solution is actually a balance between these two extremes. While early birds may get more work done more efficiently and night owls have their own way of pulling through, the time doesn’t really matter as much as the effort given by the student. This effort can be impacted by unhealthy sleep schedules, stress, and so many other things that are important to keep in mind so that you can achieve your academic goals. There are many pros and cons to working early in the day and late at night, but in the end, it is up to the student’s individual preference and what best fits their personality and schedule.

Our Words from One iUP Student to Another

From students that have crazy sleep schedules ourselves, we find the best thing to do is creating a routine and sticking to it diligently. Whether this means staying up late or waking up early, is entirely up to your personal schedule and lifestyle! Keep in mind the stress and health aspects of your life and remember that it is OK to take breaks! With that, we leave you to continue your schoolwork endeavors and wish you a great rest of the semester!