How Can You Make Sure You’re Studying Enough?
Writer:
The basics
Everyone is different, and some subjects may click for you faster than others. But there is a general rule of thumb that can give you a sense of what to expect.
College students should spend about two hours studying, reading, and writing per week for each credit hour they take.
Full-time students should anticipate spending about 30 HOURS PER WEEK on their work outside of class.
This can seem overwhelming, but think of it this way:
In high school, the average student has about 3 hours of homework every day.
In college, you should be spending almost twice that amount of time each day on work.
But the number of hours you spend in class each week is much fewer in college… usually half of the time you’re in class in high school.
Also, the work in college is SUPPOSED to be harder.
If the course material seems more dense, abstract, or challenging, don’t be hard on yourself… it’s supposed to.
Basically, between class time and work time, that’s about 40-45 hours per week.
Yes, this is essentially a standard workweek for an adult.
Think of college as a job that is preparing you for your real job.
There may be some weeks when you have much less work, and some weeks when you have more. Enjoy the extra time when you have it, and see if you can get a head start on upcoming projects!
But what about time for friends?
This is an important question! College is a time when many people form some of the best friendships they will ever have. Of course you’ll want to spend time with those people!
Find the balance
Like anything else in life, this is a question of balance. While building relationships may be ONE of your goals for college, it’s likely not the only goal.
If you have friends with good work habits, or friends who are in some of your classes, feel free to study with them!
If you have work to do, and you find yourself walking over to your friend’s dorm room for social time, ask yourself: are you doing this to procrastinate or avoid work? Are you doing this due to FOMO (fear of missing out)?
Many students will experience FOMO if they miss out on a party or a big game.
Realistically, there will always be another party, and there will always be another game. But today might be the only opportunity to study for a test that determines a huge part of your grade, and there won’t always be another test or assignment to make that up.
Set boundaries
Most students respect their friends when they say “I can’t hang out right now, I need to study,” but feel nervous to set the same boundary. Are you one of those people?
If your friends care about you, they will absolutely understand that sometimes you need to put your work ahead of spending time with them. They may complain a little bit, which can be a good thing – they like having you around!
But if they refuse to respect your boundary, and put up a major fight about it, it may be worth re-evaluating how good these friends really are for you.
That doesn’t mean you need to ditch them completely – many people have friends in college that they’ll hang out with sometimes, but wouldn’t invite to their hypothetical wedding.
These friendships are fine to have – just don’t sacrifice your grades and/or your future to keep them!
Can you study TOO much?
Yes! While you should spend the appropriate amount of time studying, going overboard is counterproductive.
Long study sessions can be boring and leave you feeling fatigued.
When you’re bored or tired, your mind will wander more.
If your mind is wandering too much, it’s just wasted study time at that point.
This is why spending an entire day or two cramming before a big exam is not the way to go.
You’re not going to absorb as much information, and the prospect of studying will feel stressful and impossible.
Learn how long you tend to concentrate on different subjects so that you can schedule focused, effective study sessions.
If you know that your bandwidth for reading biology notes or a philosophy textbook is 2-3 hours, then plan study periods that are that long.
PLAN! Use a planner, use checklists, use sticky notes. It's easier to keep track of things if they exist outside your head.
Take breaks
Rather than marathon study sessions, try breaking it up by building in rest periods and rewards for yourself.
Break down big tasks into smaller chunks, and take breaks at logical stopping points. If you’re writing a lab report with six sections, take a break after section three, and another break after you finish but before you edit.
Then go to the dining hall and get some ice cream, drop by a friend’s dorm room for a quick chat, or call a family member.
Successful rewards are activities that make you feel good and can be done quickly!
Work-life balance
You may have heard adults talking about work-life balance, but it applies to you, too! In addition to assessing your ability to concentrate on certain tasks, you’ll need to learn how to balance your personal life with your schoolwork.
To be successful in college, you need to devote a significant amount of your time to attending class and studying outside the classroom, but you also have personal commitments like family, friends, a job, and extracurriculars.
You’ll be more successful in the long run if you strike a healthy balance that incorporates these other parts of life in your schedule.
September 19, 2025
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