When I was at Trent Polytechnic, doing my BA in Fine Art, there were quite strict hours , we had to sign in by 9am and 5pm was the usual going home time. We had a lunch hour and in the sculpture department ,we had a kettle and tea to make a morning and afternoon tea break. I remember one late night a week when the college was open until 8pm and it was definitely closed at the weekend, we were told this was a safety issue as no tools could be used unless the wood and metal technicians were present.
When I did my MFA in sculpture at RISD things were quite different, the college was open 24 hours a day and technicians were present only during 9-5 hours, no safety was an issue at times. I explained some of these differences in detail ,as I have noticed a vast difference between the work ethic of my homeland and my adopted land. The most interesting question to pose is did this difference result in better work. Comparing the standard of work at Trent Poly with the undergraduate work at RISD , I would have to say no. Having unlimited access to making work does not result in better work.
I read a piece about how overworked and overstressed most Americans are, with their barely 2 weeks of vacation ,compared to most Europeans normal 6 weeks. Basically the piece said its very short sighted to think more work gets done in a 12 hour day rather than an 8 hour day. People need to recharge their batteries and thanks to the Puritans, the US is stuck with an inhuman work ethic. Give me a British tea break any day!
