WHEN ARE STUDENTS AT THEIR PEAK PERFORMANCE?

Abstract

Previous studies focusing on students' productivity have shown that different times of the day impact students' productivity and efficiency. Psychology and biology explain that the circadian rhythm is a key factor influencing students' performance during lessons and exams in the morning hours. Additionally, small changes in scheduling can affect students' performance. This study tested several hypotheses in this regard and gathered the necessary data to provide valuable insights into how students are affected by the learning process and their schedules. The results revealed that students feel more productive during the late-morning and early-afternoon hours, and they prefer the most important university activities to be scheduled during this time. Furthermore, their alertness is higher in the afternoon compared to the morning. This study provides insights into university students' feelings regarding alertness, the influence of university schedules, sleeping patterns, preferences, and similar factors, from which several practical implications are derived.

Keywords: productivity; schedule; alertness; morning; afternoon; university students.