By Aadi Mehta, Oct. 3, 2023
The current set time for U-Hour is noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which causes stressful time crunches and event overlaps for students and that needs to change.
U-Hour’s current timeslot is a dread for students taking classes at 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, who must leave U-Hour events early to get to their afternoon classes on time. Often, this leads to frustration with the students and faculty who are interrupted by class conflicts.
A better time would be 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the same two days. If U-Hour is moved up thirty minutes, students can leave more leisurely and not feel rushed to go from one place to another. Likewise, the faculty can better accommodate more students, as some do not even attend U-Hour events due to class conflicts in the 1 p.m. timeslot.
According to Best Colleges, the average student normally takes classes after 11 a.m., therefore making the 1 p.m. timeslot one of the highest-rated and most contested among classes and departments. A lot of this is because of students’ mental and cognitive health, which suggests taking classes allowing for the most sleep and enhanced productivity.
As a sophomore who currently takes a class 1 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, has multiple club meetings during U-Hour, is interested in attending campus-wide events held at 12 p.m. and has lunch around the same time, I find it increasingly stressful to manage all these activities within the same hour. Sometimes, I am forced to skip my club meetings to prioritize lunch while also preparing for an exam scheduled for my 1 p.m. class. It is simply too much in too little time.
With many clubs, workshops and guest speaker events meeting during U-Hour, moving the time up thirty minutes for the entire university will also help event leads plan out their meeting better and be available for overtime beyond 12:30 p.m. This proposal does not conflict with most classes that start at 10 p.m., as many of them end by 11:15 a.m.
As a scheduler for a club set on having meetings during U-Hour, it has become tough to run meetings from noon to 1 p.m. because many students come as many as thirty minutes late. By that time, the meeting slowly dissipates because many students have other errands to attend to. If our meeting began earlier, we could accommodate those who came late and hold a full hour-long meeting without so much interruption.
Alternatively, students in different clubs can better jump around to several meetings, as they have more time to do so if U-Hour shifts. This will increase club membership, as students will be better equipped with more time on their hands and more motivation to meet with their fellow club members.
Several mental health studies advise against rushing or having an overly busy schedule as it adds stress and anxiety to a student’s life. This, of course, is on top of the already stressful days college students go through consisting of classes, meetings, social time and commuting.
This semester, I am forced to rush out of my 10 a.m. class as soon as it ends to get lunch at one of the venues on campus. The lines at these venues are long, especially in the early hours of lunch. However, the forty-five-minute gap between my morning class and my club meeting makes me think that I can get lunch in time. While I may get in line at 11:30 a.m., it is not until noon I finish paying for my food. On most of these days, I have club events starting at noon, so I must take my food there or pack my food for later, all the while being late and missing valuable information for the club. At the same time, I have a class at 1 p.m., forcing me to leave my club meeting early while still potentially being hungry if I did not finish my food in time. My personal experience with this should persuade others to not make this part of their Tuesday/Thursday routine. It is just too stressful for anyone to keep on doing it, especially for an entire semester.
Another crucial factor which should prompt U-Hour’s timeslot shift is lunch. With U-Hour’s current time, and the 1 p.m. hour, students often have rushed lunch plans and do not result in good choices. This includes skipping lunch altogether, being forced to choose unhealthy options and being unable to finish their meal due to time crunches between events and classes.
Many nutritionists point to the importance of lunch, arguing it provides energy and nutrients to keep the body and brain functioning throughout the afternoon. They also advise commuting students to bring packed lunches from home whenever possible because it provides a healthier option that gives students control over the contents of the food they are eating.
With midterms coming up, lunch is an even more important aspect, as it could potentially make or break a student’s performance on their exams. If the time for U-Hour shifts, students can feel less stressed while having lunch, and therefore can be better mentally prepared for their exams.
I am surprised this issue has not been addressed or even discussed among students. I can only imagine how many students, like me, are stressed because of how much work they have during U-Hour. Let us help our students out by making this small, yet impactful change for all who try their best to manage their classes, clubs and well-being.
Feature image courtesy of Jose A. Mosqueda