Classes: Better During the Day or Night?

Cristina Foglietta
Staff Writer

Are you a morning bird or night owl? Some students function better during the day and others function better at night. The stu­dents interviewed by the Pioneer were divided by their preferences for day or night classes. LIU Post offers classes from8:00-9:20 a.m. to 5:45-8:25 p.m. for undergraduate students. This allows students to choose what time is best for them. Students have mixed feelings about what time they prefer to have classes, with differing reasons. Some students say they favor night classes. They concentrate better at night and night classes allow them to work during the day. Others feel that they focus better during the day and would rather get classes over early.

Several students said they prefer classes at night because they are able to work better at that time. “I like my night classes better. It’s easier for me to concentrate during the night; I fall asleep easier during the day,” said Elina Viitasaari, a senior dual major in Criminal Justice and Psychology from Fin­land. Mikhail Grayaznov, a sophomore Busi­ness major from Moscow, Russia, agreed. “I want all of my classes at night; it’s hard for me to focus in the morning because I’m not awake yet,” said Grayaznov. He said he has one night class this semester, Business Law, from5:45 to 8:25 p.m.

Grayaznov’s other four classes are during the day. He says it is hard for him to focus in his two morn­ing classes at 8:00 to 9:20 a.m. and 9:30 to 10:50 a.m. “For me, it’s hard to wake up in the morning for class; when I do I am really sleepy and come back to my room to sleep after class because I stay up late at night,” said Grayaznov. He said he feels he would do better in his classes if they were all at night and that he will register early for classes for the spring semester to try to make this possible. Grayaznov said he stays up late at night and has a hard time falling asleep early. “I always stay up late and usually go to bed at 3 a.m. One of the reasons is that I speak to my friends and family in Russia,” said Grayaznov. There is an eight-hour time difference in Moscow.

Viitasaari agreed that there are many advantages to night classes. “It’s more conve­nient to go to classes once a week, do home­work once a week and the teachers usually let you out earlier,” said Viitasaari. She added that she thinks professors are more laid back at night. Viitasaari has three night classes this semester, Methods of Criminal Justice Research, Criminal Law and Experimental Psychology. “I enjoy my night classes more because there are older students at the class­es, there are teenagers in my day classes,” said Viitsaari. She said her other four classes are during the day and she finds it more dif­ficult to concentrate in them.

Yet other students disagree, preferring class during the day. “I like day classes better because I like to get everything over with and enjoy the rest of my day,” said Jessica Love­land, a junior Nutrition major. She said she has four classes during the day and one class, Statistics, at 5:45 to 8:25 p.m. James Grady, a sophomore Criminal Justice major agreed. “I prefer day classes because it’s not too early where I can’t function and it’s not too late that I’m stuck at school all day,” he said. Grady said he prefers classes from11 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. He has three classes during the day and two classes at night.

Although Loveland and Grady say they can tolerate night classes, they have reasons why they don’t prefer those classes. “I don’t like night classes because they interfere with my dinner; I eat early before my class and then I’m starving after,” said Loveland. However, she said she can pay attention in both her day classes and night class. Grady has a different reason why he prefers classes during the day. “When I have a night class, I feel like I’m stuck at school and my whole day is gone,” said Grady. He commutes to school and feels he is unable to do anything else when he has a night class.

Some students do not have a choice be­tween day and night classes. Graduate classes at LIU Post are generally available from5 to 7 p.m., 7 to 9 p.m. and 9 to 11 p.m. Many graduate students enjoy having only night classes. “I prefer classes at night, so I can do a lot during the day; I would not like classes during the day,” said Mina Tang, a graduate Nutrition major from China. Tanghas classes during the class periods of 5 to 7 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. “Even though it’s tiring, there are things I have to do, like work, during the day,” said Tang. She says she works at International Student Services and does homework for classes during the day.

So when you are picking your classes for the spring semester, think about whether you function better during the day or night. The time of your classes can make a differ­ence in how well you do. Depending on your major and class, the choice could be up to you. As a Journalism major, I have never had a class at night because I never found a class for Media Arts available at this time. I am not a morning person, so I would have liked to experience a night class to compare which time I focused better in. Certain classes are only offered during the day and other classes are only offered at night. Generally, I found that Business, Statistics, Law and Criminal Justice classes are offered at night. Then there are some core classes that are available during both the day and night.