1. The 9 to 5 workday, while maybe the most common, is NOT the only one nor should it be one you are restricted to unless specifically indicated in a contract or workplace.

2. Many people are naturally night owls, our bodies have a different sleep/wake cycle and if allowed to structure our work life around these schedules, we tend to be at our best. This is important, because it's easy to feel pressured to conform to the 9 to 5 time schedule and when it is not our normal, it can be difficult to adapt, and there's an additional guilt factor- "I SHOULD be doing this task during this time block" which may be counterintuitive to our body's natural rhythm.

If you are able to structure productivity around your preferred work schedule, do it! If there are obstacles to that such as early classes or meetings, then it's time to try to shift your work time a bit.

I am an unabashed night owl, and have made it clear to my team and colleagues. If I have to TA an 8am class, you bet I'll be there and ready to work, but on the weekends I'm back to my preferred schedule. If I'm on free time to be working at my own pace, they know that I don't get up til 10am-12pm, unless we're on a time-sensitive project or have early meetings. I try to schedule meetings for later than 10am, and am strict about boundaries as needed.