How many hours should I be studying a night?

Question

I just started my 1st year in college. How long should I be hitting the books a night, whether or not I have "homework" or an assignment due..

Thanks!

Answer 1

Lots of good points here.

The standard advice is 2 hours outside of class for every hour in class, but of course if you have courses with heavy reading loads or that require practice (music or art), it could be tons more.

The advice I followed in school, and now give, is to treat school like a job. Do not go home after class. Go somewhere and STUDY! Try to schedule your classes in the morning so you are forced to get up and try to be done with most classes (other than labs) by lunch. Take a leisurely lunch, relax, and then back to work. Study until dinner - and then you are FREE.

Imagine typically having your nights and weekends free except for big projects or papers. My friends were so annoyed that I had tons of time to go out while getting just about straight As in a tough major at a competitive school.

Now you know the secret...

Answer 2

I just finished my first year. Profs said that u should study 2 hours for every hour ur in class, but it really depends on what class ur taking? Me, I studied anywhere from 25 to 40 hours a week, but it was always at least 16 hours a week. Even if u don't have any homework (and u usually won't), u should study.The two weeks before finals were crazy. I would study straight from when I got home to 2 in the morning. Then I'd wake up at 6:30 for school. Take good notes. Remember to review material throughout the day at random times. For example, when I brush my teeth or take a shower, I start reviewing. Then again, I might have studied so much because I'm a nursing major (it's very hard to get into the program) and Anatomy and Physiology was tough! So it really depends on your major. U probably won't have to study as much as me. Just try to set AT LEAST 3 hours a day to study, even if u have nothing to do, just read ahead or review until ur sick of it. It doesn't have to be at night either. If ur a morning person, study an hour before class, an hour in between class, and after lunch. Then ur done! Attend ur professor's office hours. Make sure they know ur name. That's the best way to get a good score too because if u have a borderline grade, they will probably boost u up if they know u. Remember to take a lot of breaks though or u'll burn out. Like on Saturday and Sunday nights, I didn't do work, I played! Good luck. I also found group studying to be ineffective. Picture spending one hour discussing one question. What a waste of time. It's faster if u just look for it urself. After reviewing material, pretend ur teaching it to a class. That's a good way to learn it. College is an enjoyable experience. Also remember that no one is going to hand you a good time. YOU have to look for it.

Answer 3

You prepare in advance 30min. to 60 minutes for the next class. Read the coming section so you have a clue. Read up on concepts and use a dictionary if needed.

In class take notes, note homework.

After class, review notes, (10 min.) re-do these if need be so they are legible and understandable (20 min.). Do the homework. (30-60 min.) Read the section in the book again. Prepare for "essays" or "exams" after this. (up to 2 hours)

Before exams, read your notes, review anything that you don't remember properly, do exercises to check on yourself.
DO NOT "CRAM" RIGHT BEFORE THE EXAM.

Spend more time on subjects that are hard for you, and less on those that come naturally to you. For a 3 credit course, spend at least 3 hours a week on it studying, reading, going over the material, doing research and discussing the points.
For tough stuff, find a tutor or study group in college to help you stay on target, learn easier and be confident.

Adjust your study patterns depending on your test/exam results. Some professors are more forgiving than others.

Answer 4

Depends on what you study and what you want to achieve. Generally, nobody should study at night - sometimes it's just sensless and pointless cause you're tired and don't take in much information. Well.. when I was in high school, I studied till 2 or 3 at night sometimes (had a very strict teacher), but at the university - I usually stop studying before midnight. I know exactly when I'm too tired to learn anything and then I just go to bed. Safe your power till the exams! And SLEEP a lot - that would help!

Answer 5

Depends on this:

How much do you retain when you hear/see the material in class? Some people don't retain anything in class, believe it or not. They get it all through studying. For others, studying is simply a reinforcement of what they hear/see in class. They get it down right away.

If you're the first type, I recommend studying at least as long as the class length. 2 hour class = 2 hour study time. If you're the second type, maybe half or a quarter of that.

Answer 6

I think studying in the morning is better than at night. Try waking up 2 to 3 hours before you have to go to your first class and study what you learned the prvious day in each class for a half an hour each.

Answer 7

I had a professor once tell me that you should study an extra hour for each hour class you have.
For example, you meet MWF from noon-2pm-- so you would study at least 6 extra hours on top of any homework.

Good luck!

Answer 8

2 1/2 hrs