It’s not uncommon to see Loyola students stumbling home during the early hours of Friday morning after a long night on the town. According to a new study, however, this sight might be less common if they had to be in class in a few hours.
According to a June press release by the University of Missouri-Columbia, students are less likely to binge drink on Thursdays if they have Friday morning classes. The study continues to say that college students who don’t have Friday morning classes may consume twice as much alcohol as their peers with class on Friday morning.
This study was conducted by Phillip K. Wood, a professor of quantitative psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Psychological Sciences, along with Kenneth J. Sher and Patricia C. Rutledge of MU’s Midwest Alcoholism Research Center.
The team of researchers monitored the drinking habits of 3,341 undergraduate students.
Over a four-year period, the professors merged pre-college and Web-based surveys with the data and students’ academic transcripts and academic schedules.
The students also kept a weekly update of their drinking habits from semester to semester, according to the release.
Combined, Loyola’s four undergraduate colleges have fewer morning classes before 10 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays than Tuesdays and Thursdays.
However, scheduling more Friday morning classes isn’t necessarily a simple task.
Kathy Gros, director of Registration Services, said, “We have a limited number of classrooms and need to make accommodations. There are many factors that determine what time the classes start, such as the faculty and students’ needs.”
Gros continued, “For freshmen, we sign them up for early morning classes to prevent 18-year-olds from going out and drinking during the week.
“You’re here to get an education. If you go out on a Thursday night it is your responsibility to go to your morning classes.”
Some students echo Gros’ idea of personal responsibility.
“Thursday night is a night to go out. We’re in college and can go out on a school night,” said Jonas Griffin, English freshman, when asked if drinking on Thursday night affects his classes and studies on Friday mornings.
Alexison Farria, biology freshman, said, “Alcohol doesn’t have an effect on me, but I stay in if I have a test to study for.”
Other Loyola students choose to go out on other days during the week. Elle Maloney, mass communication freshman, said, “I don’t go out on Thursdays. I have three classes on Friday that are hard.
“I usually go out on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday because I only have two classes (Thursday).”
One of the several suggestions made by Wood to college administrators is to schedule Saturday classes.
Gros, however, said this isn’t going to happen at Loyola.
She also doesn’t consider holding earlier classes to be a viable option. “At one point LSU had classes as early as 7 a.m.,” she said. “We aren’t considering this either.”
Jess Burrola can be reached at [email protected].
