Student Contribution: Selena Zhang
An independent study recently found that law students suffer the highest rate of growth in ageing.
Instigated from an increased ‘ghostly’ cast over many students’ faces in Deakin’s law building, an independent researcher sought to get to the bottom of this issue.
The researcher followed the journey of 45 law students who all volunteered to be part of this study. In his research, he considered each student’s year level, study and skincare habits, and average duration of sleep - The results may or may not be surprising.
The findings of his study reported that first year students, within a duration of one year, displayed very few changes in their skin quality. Key indicators of ageing such as skin discolouration and skin elasticity, were largely unaffected within this year level.
However, for students in their penultimate year level or above, the study showed significant adverse changes in students’ skin quality with the largest contributing factor to be low quality sleep. The study revealed that students within this year group sleep on average of about 5.65 hours a day, and after speaking with the participants of the study, it was found that a majority believed they could make up for their lack of sleep over the weekend.
It has been common knowledge that students, and healthy adults more generally, should be getting their recommended 8 hours of sleep a day. However, this is clearly not the case with law students.
The researcher has provided that the findings of his study remain inconclusive though persuasive. Students will continue to be monitored for another 12 month period. More to come.
