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Can sleep habits change college success?
They love their sleep and have no idea that managing their sleep habits actually increases their chances of college success.
True story: A sleepy and non-morning person high school student is woken up by his mother every day to make sure he gets to school on time. The same high school student and his mother make a campus visit during his senior year and are told that habits like this MUST be broken before the student is on his own at college, or the student is at risk of missing early morning classes. They chuckle while hearing this, because how could that actually happen? Fast-forward one year. The student is in college and SLEEPS THROUGH so many classes that he basically fails his first semester, loses valuable college scholarship money, and is on the verge of dropping out.
Without going into any more detail, I can tell you that this story hits VERY close to home for me and my family.
Students who do not learn to manage their sleep habits before they get to college are at a distinct disadvantage.
This article by College Parenting Expert, Wendy David-Gaines, explains how early risers get the most out of college and the importance of preparing students in advance for college success.
Wake-up, smell the coffee, and READ THIS IMPORTANT ARTICLE:
EARLY RISERS GET MOST OUT OF COLLEGE
SO PREPARE NOW
Getting adequate sleep isn’t enough for students to get the most out of their college education.
They have to be morning people according to the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) released on November 20. The survey found “circadian preference, the biological rhythm of the individual and the associated optimal time of day for peak cognitive and behavioral functioning,” determined the level of engagement for college freshmen. During their first year of college, early rises were found to enjoy a higher educational experience than their late-sleeping peers. This is a wake-up call for both parents and their college-bound.
The NSSE survey
At 57 institutions, 5,420 freshmen students were surveyed and classified according to their circadian preference. The survey found 12% percent were morning students who feel their best
in the morning and prefer morning activities, 11 percent were evening students who feel their best in the evening and prefer evening activities, and 77 percent were intermediate students who were flexible and have no strong preference.
The survey reported morning students spent significantly more time studying than socializing. “These results reveal that evening-type students are at a distinct disadvantage. Morning-type students are more engaged and, as a result, enjoy a higher quality educational experience during their first year of college,” the survey noted.
Impact on students
Students can choose their course schedules carefully and plan their day around their sleep habits. “Most college classes are still held in the morning, and adolescents — including traditional-aged college freshmen — have circadian rhythms that often slow them down in the morning,” according to Vox. A calendar and time management skills can help the night owls and those with no preference achieve what early risers appear to do naturally.
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Families can start focusing on the correlation of sleep habits to academic difficulties and quality of engagement. Maximizing a college education opportunity means taking advantage of on and off-campus opportunities.
Monica Matthews is the author of How to Win College Scholarships. She helped her own son win over $100,000 in college scholarships and now shares her expertise with other parents and their students. She truly has “been there, done that” in regards to helping parents and students navigate the scholarship process.
Her method of helping students in finding college scholarships, writing unique and compelling scholarship essays, creating amazing scholarship application packets and more, have taught desperate parents to help their own students win thousands of scholarship dollars.
Monica’s scholarship tips have been featured on many prominent websites and she has been dubbed the “Go-To” expert on college scholarships.
