Credit hours vs. Study hours

[MommyThrice]

Conventional wisdom says that for every hour class credit, you will need to study 2-3 hours outside of class. Is this realistic? Ds would like to take 10 hours in the fall. That would mean he would need to study 20-30 hours outside of class. That is only 3 classes (history, statistics & physics) so he still needs history & English at home. (Disclaimer: he took 6 hours this past fall and 4 in the spring. I have no idea how long he studied, but he's falling below a 3.5 GPA. That's why I'm asking)

 

So, breaking down the time, I get...

 

Class time: 10 hrs/wk

Study time: 20-30 hr/wk

History & English: 7.5 hrs/wk

Class + study time: 37.5 to 47.5 hrs/wk

 

For a full-time college student taking 18 hours, they would need to study 36 - 54 hours outside of class.

Class + study = 54 to 72 hours per week.

 

What am I missing here?

[regentrude]

You are not missing anything.

I teach physics at a university. One hour of class requires on average 2 hours of work outside of class, more for a struggling student.

A student taking 18 credit hours is looking at a 54+ hour week.

If the student wants to do well, he needs to expect to treat college as a more than full-time job.

 

Of course, some classes may require less outside work. But at least for math and science, the estimate of 1+2 is entirely correct.

[LizzyBee]

Conventional wisdom says that for every hour class credit, you will need to study 2-3 hours outside of class. Is this realistic? Ds would like to take 10 hours in the fall. That would mean he would need to study 20-30 hours outside of class. That is only 3 classes (history, statistics & physics) so he still needs history & English at home. (Disclaimer: he took 6 hours this past fall and 4 in the spring. I have no idea how long he studied, but he's falling below a 3.5 GPA. That's why I'm asking)

 

So, breaking down the time, I get...

 

Class time: 10 hrs/wk

Study time: 20-30 hr/wk

History & English: 7.5 hrs/wk

Class + study time: 37.5 to 47.5 hrs/wk

 

For a full-time college student taking 18 hours, they would need to study 36 - 54 hours outside of class.

Class + study = 54 to 72 hours per week.

 

What am I missing here?

 

I've always heard 2 hours for undergrad and 3-4 for grad school. I think that's realistic, although if a class requires a lot of writing, I think the time required outside of class will be closer to 3x rather than 2x. A standard full time load is 15 hours which equals 45 hours in and out of class, which is equivalent to a FT job.

[MommyThrice]

That might explain why taking 21 hours in electrical engineering my first semester at A&M wasn't such a good idea. I should probably be in therapy to work on forgiving that college counselor.

[MommyThrice]

So, 2 hours per credit hour is probably more realistic? I'm initiating mandatory study hall for this amount of time for awhile. Of course, extra study is acceptable!

[regentrude]

So, 2 hours per credit hour is probably more realistic? I'm initiating mandatory study hall for this amount of time for awhile. Of course, extra study is acceptable!

 

 

Depends on the class, the student's preparation, ability, aptitude, speed... But I'd say planning for 2 hours should be minimum.

[Pegasus]

Wow, it really depends on the student and the courses. On AVERAGE, I would say that 2 to 3 hours of study time per hour of classtime is more than is usually required, but it is a good rule of thumb.

 

I took between 16 and 19 credit hours of undergrad courses in an engineering major per semester and still found time to work 20-30 hours per week, get regular sleep, and have fun. I know I wasn't studying 32 to 48 hours per week outside of class!

[Dana]

There's also time management. There may be a week where you don't need to do as much in an English class while the next week you've got a couple papers due. Ideally, you're spending your 6 hours the week when not much is due getting that paper started!

 

I see a lot of students trying to take a full load (12 hours at our cc is considered FT) in the evening while working and having a family. They typically don't do a good job.

 

It also depends on how solid your foundation is within a subject. If you have any gaps in your knowledge, that 3 hours per credit is also going to filling in anything that's missing. It includes reading for classes, required work for classes, and, ideally, anything extra.

 

Stats is basically tons of word problems. Ideally a student would read the text before coming to class, attend class & take notes, do homework & look back over any notes, memorize anything needed & review anything needed, then read text before class & repeat!

 

Once in grad school, I used a timer to see how much time I was spending studying. In an hour long block of time, I spent a bit over a half hour of actual studying. I spent the remaining time talking with my husband, answering a phone call, getting a snack, etc. I can't imagine how little it would have been had I had internet access! So focused studying is important :)

[snowbeltmom]

So, 2 hours per credit hour is probably more realistic? I'm initiating mandatory study hall for this amount of time for awhile. Of course, extra study is acceptable!

 

I think it also depends on whether or not the student has a lab included in those credit hours. My labs were always worth just one credit, but required much more time both in class and outside of class than that one credit hour suggested.

[Jane in NC]

Another thing to consider is the amount of time your student may need for required reading. Some people are fast at any sort of reading; others will labor over texts or journal articles that may be dry. This is perhaps a skill at which students improve with exposure and experience. I was always astounded by the number of college freshmen who had trouble reading math books. In high school, their math texts served the purpose of offering problem sets. Few students seem to learn how to read math texts in high school--even the sample problems. It is troubling.

[Paige]

I never spent that much time studying per week in college and had a 4.0. I think it varies. Some weeks you may put in almost no extra time for a class and another time you put in 5-6 hours for the same class. IMO, the work load was really not much different than high school. Maybe I was a fast reader? If he's falling behind, instead of making him study more, he would be better off studying smarter. He could probably get up to speed and resolve any problems he's having understanding a subject or assignment if he sat down with his prof for office hours for 15-20min every other week.

[kiana]

I think mandating study time until he's back above a 3.5 sounds like a good idea.

 

If he were maintaining a 4.0 and studying less than that I wouldn't be concerned. But accepting B's and studying less is a bad habit to get into.

[Corraleno]

So, 2 hours per credit hour is probably more realistic? I'm initiating mandatory study hall for this amount of time for awhile. Of course, extra study is acceptable!

 

 

Think of it this way: Most college courses cover roughly the same amount of material in one semester that high schools cover in a year, so it makes sense that a standard (3 credit) one-semester college class would take about twice as much time per week as a HS class. For example:

 

College class: 9 hrs/wk (3 in class, 6 studying) x 16 wks in a semester = 144 hrs

HS class: 4 hrs/wk (~50 min class period) x 36 weeks (180 school days) = 144 hrs

 

Jackie

[Lindi]

Some universities are recommending 5 years to complete an undergrad degree. The son of a friend had a perfect SAT plus had gone to a very good private school with all kinds of things that look great on an application. He won a full scholarship, with at least some stipend included (not sure how much) and they recommended 5 years at the school where he studied pre-law. After that, he went to a top law school, though.

[LisaKinVA]

Some universities are recommending 5 years to complete an undergrad degree. The son of a friend had a perfect SAT plus had gone to a very good private school with all kinds of things that look great on an application. He won a full scholarship, with at least some stipend included (not sure how much) and they recommended 5 years at the school where he studied pre-law. After that, he went to a top law school, though.

 

 

Honestly, I don't understand this...I know some majors are more difficult than others, but I can't imagine why is *should* take 5 years to complete an undergrad degree *unless* you are spending a significant amount of time taking remedial courses, or taking the bare minimum (12 credit hours). I graduated in 1990, my USNA boyfriend at the time and I used to complain to each other about not having a life outside of school (of course, he used to think he had it worse...and then I showed him what *I* had to do to stay in school AND pay for school, My lowest courseload was my first semester -- 15 credit hours -- I had to have a special sign off for the next 4 semesters, because I was taking over 18 (21, 22, 21, 24). I took a summer internship (15 credit hours), and traveled every other weekend for debate tournaments, which required a substantial amount of research and work, just to remain competitive (and I was on scholarship for that, too...I had two scholarships that were GPA related). I worked an average of 30 hours. My school had mandatory church and chapel services for dorm students. I finished a double major in 3 years. Even if you take away the internship, I still would have graduated in 3 years, but with a Poli Sci minor instead of the 2nd major, and no debt ;).

 

During my years in school, and coaching at the college level, There were the highly capable students who managed their time well, and never really had any major issues, there were the highly capable students who didn't manage their time well and struggled to keep their GPA average up (or didn't even try and flunked out), There were the students who had to work hard,, and managed their time well and succeeded at earning really good grades, and there were the students who needed to work hard, but didn't manage their time well and wound up either just scraping by, or failing. What I'm saying is that time management is a HUGE part of the problem. I've known people (my brother), who spent four years in school trying to be an Engineer, when he wasn't cut out for that field (was *never* a strong math/science guy), he graduated with an AA in drafting after six years, and finished is BA in Business after 9, and went on to get his MBA (paid for by his company). But, stories like my brother's were not common. More often than not, the people who had problems in school were in too many clubs/student organizations, spending too much time "hanging out" than studying, and put off papers and coursework until the last minute...enjoying their freedom. Some of these kids woke up after a rude wake up call...but many do not. Some kids have never learned how to work hard...and are shocked when they do (my husband, for example, skipping his Calculus class in college, and just showing up for the tests because he had Calc in high school...lol).

 

So, IMO, the biggest challenge facing these young adults isn't how difficult the coursework is, or how smart they might be (or might not be), it is the ability to focus and prioritize...being willing to be the "odd man out," because you need to start working on that paper due at the end of the semester week #1 (because you have roughly 5 major papers due, plus one class that requires a 5 page research paper or presentation each week), and you can't afford to put it off. I think that is probably the most difficult part of growing up and being responsible for oneself, and that is probably why I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to teach this to my kids...

[MommyThrice]

Some universities are recommending 5 years to complete an undergrad degree. The son of a friend had a perfect SAT plus had gone to a very good private school with all kinds of things that look great on an application. He won a full scholarship, with at least some stipend included (not sure how much) and they recommended 5 years at the school where he studied pre-law. After that, he went to a top law school, though.

 

5 years PLUS law school? No wonder students can't organize their time and focus. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. I agree with LisaK. School hasn't gotten any harder, except for maybe more busy-work. We have somehow failed to teach our kids to just "do the next thing," then enjoy their free time with a clear conscience. I keep explaining this to my kids, but I don't think they want to hear it. Is it a problem with delayed gratification?

 

I remember working as a software consultant (eons ago) where long hours were expected. Not increased productivity - just long hours. It was maddening! I could do my job in half the time of my co-workers, but I was expected to stay in the office to put more hours on the clock. I hope that isn't the norm today.

[Dmmetler]

That also depends on the major-music is known for 1 credit hour classes that meet for 5 hours a week, and practice time can quickly add up, especially if you're doing multiple instruments or vocal areas and multiple ensembles. That's one reason why I advise against too much CLEP/AP coursework-if you've done all the gen Ed 3 credit hour classes, it can be hard to get a schedule that's actually full-time on paper AND is doable in actual hours of required time.

[foxbridgeacademy]

For me it depended on the class. I had an Art History class where I never had to study, I already knew most of the info prior to that particular class. If it was a class based on tests then studying was also minimal(as long as you actually go to class).

The ones that killed me were when we had to do papers. Hours and hours every week. My last semester at University (this is one of the reasons I did not graduate) I had 5 final papers due (total of about 50 pages +) the same week as well as final tests in three of those classes. I was a working mother going through a divorce. I went slightly insane and dropped everything. My advice is to consider the students strengths/weaknesses and get the Prof. syllabus from the previous semester if you can. Then do your best to stagger the load.

I made it through 3 full years and there was no way I could have devoted 2 hours of study time to every hour of class time, if I could have I would have done much better.