I see many benefits in taking night classes, especially for those who work all day and are trying to get a degree in their free time. However, students complain about the services that are not offered at night.
When I have taken night classes before, I have loved the atmosphere. The class sizes are smaller, so you get more attention and become closer with your classmates. The classes are typically longer, so I found that I dedicate myself more to that class than I would with an hour-long class.
The time the class is offered is usually convenient for me too. Every one I have taken was offered at 5:30-8:10 p.m., which is a time I wouldn’t typically be doing anything anyway.
The downside I see in taking night classes on campus here is that a lot of food services close down right when I would need them most.
If I work 9 a.m.-5 p.m. then have to get to campus by 5:30 p.m., I don’t have very much time in my schedule to pause for dinner. Most night classes offer a break so we can get snacks, but this is usually after 7 p.m., which is when the Union convenience store closes.
Even more inconveniently, all of the food options in the Union (Lotza Global Café, Waldo’s Cheesie Grill and Jamba Juice/Starbucks) all close by 5 p.m., which hinders any chance at all for me to get food.
The solution I came up with is to pack a lunch. And this, I’ve found, is typical of the college night class. Almost all classes that I have taken feature the working woman in the back of the room chewing on a sandwich while the professor gives the lesson.
Another issue that could be seen as a potential problem are the hours of the computer labs. I hear students complain that they can’t get work done because the computer labs close early.
This isn’t the case. Every computer lab on campus is open until at least 9 p.m. This is after most night classes have already ended. The computers in the Union building are open until midnight. And on their website, you can see how many computers are currently open.
One of my favorite services on campus, the gym, is open until 10:30 p.m. on weekdays. I love this because I can get off work at 9 p.m. and still have time to go to the gym every night.
This is also nice because it’s not a typical time for people to go. The gym is my playground after. I can use any machine I’d like because it’s not as crowded.
So while planning is mandatory in order to make sure you take advantage of all the services that are offered on campus, they are still around. The services on campus are useful and a big part of what makes this great.
