Times of day, ranked

Editor's Note: This article was meant to be published on December 6, 2023.

There are 24 hours in a day, but not all hours were created equal.

Evening (6 pm to 9 pm)

My favorite time of the day is evening. I feel the most productive and it’s the perfect time to wrap up my tasks for the day and prepare for the next. In the summer, the cooler temperatures create the perfect weather to take long walks and dine outside. Even though it gets dark early in the winter, I don’t mind as long as I can imagine myself as the protagonist of a moody music video.

Night (10 pm to 5 am)

The second best time of the day – or rather, night – are the hours between 10 pm and 5 am. Nighttime is the time to relax and unwind before bed and like all college students, I love sleeping, even if there are days where I don’t get many hours of sleep. One thing I do to ensure that I get a good night’s rest is sticking to a shower and skincare routine that signals to my brain that it’s time to sleep.

Early Morning (6 am to 8 am)

This one might be surprising, considering waking up early isn’t most people’s idea of a good time. However, when I am able to drag myself out of bed, I love how peaceful it is and how it feels like there are endless opportunities with all the hours stretched out in front of you.

Late Morning (9 am to 11 am)

Solidly in the middle of my rankings is late morning. To me, there’s nothing remarkable about this time of day but it isn’t terrible either. If I had to choose an ideal class time, I would put it in this period. It’s late enough for me to comfortably get up, but I still have time afterwards to do what I want.

Early Afternoon (12 pm to 2 pm)

The penultimate spot in my ranking goes to early afternoon, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Not only does the early afternoon feel like a warmer extension of the late morning, but its associated meal is lunch, which simply does not carry the gravitas of the other two main meals. Additionally, since it’s the middle of the day, everywhere is crowded and bustling, which is not my cup of tea.

Late Afternoon (3 pm to 5 pm)

My least favorite time of the day is the late afternoon. It always feels like it extends on forever; the saying goes “time flies when you’re having fun” but it seems like I don’t have much fun in the afternoon.

This wraps up my ranking of the different phases of the days. Overall, I prefer the beginning and end of a day as they promise new possibilities. As a disclaimer, these rankings were likely heavily influenced by my own daily schedule.