Staying conscious during class has become a serious issue for students. Take a look around your classroom and see how many people are actually awake.

More and more students are falling asleep during class with no regard to its actual cost.

The cost of sleeping through class means much more than missing out on the information provided in the lecture.

The loss that the student suffers should be calculated with the damage the student suffers in missed work, in fees, and in the knowledge he passed up on.

It means lost opportunities to improve one’s chances in an even more competitive world.

Dr. Sabjit Johal, a political science instructor, urges students to take into consideration that each class requires two hours of outside work per week for every unit the class is worth.

For a standard three unit class, that is six hours of work a week. Multiply that number by the number of class weeks per semester.

Furthermore, multiply that number by the hourly wage earned at a job. A student taking 12 units and making minimum wage is missing out on $3,456 without adding the actual course fees.

That is an additional $552. Of course, neither of those calculations factor in the cost of books and materials.

The point that this illustrates is the notion that not only are students losing the material of their education, they are wasting the money that they have worked for.

While some students receive financial aid, others have to do it the old-fashioned way. This means working one or two jobs on the side to make ends meet.

Working that much definitely contributes to students being tired and falling asleep in class but working hard for an education is the reason behind getting an education.

However, why would someone work so hard for something that they are going to sleep through? It does not make sense to literally sleep away the education you are paying for.

Putting the cost to the individual student aside, sleeping through class does affect other people. It is unfair to classmates as well as students unable to get into the class.

Classmates can be distracted by snoring or just the sight of sleepers. It creates opportunity for joking and trivializing the real goings-on of class. Students who are denied access to the class feel particularly insulted by it.

Students can take certain precautions to avoid falling asleep in class. There is tea and coffee that can keep people awake.

But the best precaution is getting enough sleep. A good night’s sleep and a decent breakfast can work wonders for tired students.

College is a huge undertaking and students should know that as they enroll. The horror stories of no sleep and little spare time are not just stories.

Students succeed if they have a plan that provides a perfect balance between work, school and recreation.

Every student is capable of success, but it begins with a solid plan and wise choices. Falling asleep in class provides an easy pass to certain failure.