Wake up — it might improve your G.P.A. A recent study shows that students who drag themselves out of bed to get to an early class actually have better grades.

Two psychology professors at St. Lawrence University in New York surveyed about 253 students. Their research found that students with 8 a.m. classes tend to have more regular sleep patterns and stricter daily routines — which could account for their better grades. Those students also tended to have an earlier bedtime and avoided drinking into the late night hours.

Pamela Thacher, the study’s co-author, told The New York Times, “For every hour of class that you have later, you get about a .02 difference, so three hours of difference between class start times will result in a .06 difference in grades.”

She cited an example of a student with early classes earning a 3.2 G.P.A. compared to a student with later classes earning a 3.0 average.

The findings reverse the assumption that later classes allow for students to be better-rested and more alert. Instead, it appears students who don’t have to get to class until the afternoon tend to stay up later, consume more alcohol and have lower grades.

So, when you’re scheduling your classes for next semester, will you be inclined to choose the earlier options?

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