Written by Julia Yurchesyn

Thumbnail & Banner Photo by Matt Ragland on Unsplash

Every university student will have a unique answer and perspective to the question:

How much time do you spend studying?

It’s widely accepted that, as a student, you must study to some extent in order to graduate with a degree. But there is a huge range of possible answers when it comes to how much you should study. Really, is that even a question that can be answered?

Perhaps instead of wondering what the magical number of hours is, the focus should be on the individual student, their circumstances and their goals. This article will go into different factors that will generally affect study time, and hopefully, by the end, you will be able to discover a balance that works for you.

Courseload

This is perhaps the most obvious factor: the more classes you are taking, the more time you will need to study. Based on my own personal and subjective experience, a full course load of five/six classes is going to be time consuming. You have more assignments to pass in, more lectures to attend, more readings and/or labs to do. If you’re trying to keep a scholarship, I would recommend prioritizing tests and assignments that have the most point value as they come up throughout the semester. For example, if you’re short on time, choose to study for the big test rather than try to keep up with all the readings for every class. It’s pretty much impossible to stay on top of everything all the time, so learning to be strategic is key! It also helps to choose courses that you enjoy and find interesting, so that you are more motivated to stay on top of the workload.

Also, while some people want to move their degree along at a faster pace or take some time off in the spring/summer, others prefer slowing things down so that their day-to-day study schedule is not as time consuming. It’s also important to mention that one could choose to study part-time instead of full-time. Because fewer classes are taken per semester, this would allow someone to balance other commitments, such as work and family or other personal factors, with their studies. It’s useful to note that if you want to be a full-time student, you only need to take three classes during the fall or winter semester, and two during the spring and summer semesters (Fred Smithers Centre students do not fall under these requirements).

Finally, each class is different in terms of how much study and work is necessary. While certain courses may be particularly demanding, others may be much more flexible and have a less heavy workload. Balancing lighter courses with heavier courses makes taking more classes per semester much more doable. The workload and the intensity of a class are also dependent on the time of year because the fall and winter semesters are longer (four months) than the spring and summer semesters (two months). Fall and winter semesters allow students to take more classes because the content is covered at a slower pace, while spring and summer classes move much more rapidly. If a student enrolls in spring or summer semester classes, even taking two classes at a time can require a significant time commitment.

2. Program

The program that you are in and how you learn the material also affects the amount of time needed to study and complete the course. In a highly structured program like engineering or business, studying might take up more time because of the number of required courses for the program. Additionally, programs with labs, such as science and engineering, will also take more time to complete. However, the arts and humanities also require study time in the form of class readings. An arts student’s reading requirements can take up quite a bit of time, though it is not as structured as a lab.

Finally, are you a graduate or undergraduate student? Will you be completing a major or doing honours? The more work that is involved, the more study time will be necessary to succeed in your endeavors.

3. Learning Style

How you learn and complete the assignments will also affect how much time you will need to study. Perhaps you need to complete many practice problems to learn a new concept or equation, or maybe it is difficult to understand the biological processes you will need to know for the midterm. Maybe a class requires a research paper at the end of the semester, instead of a final exam. Maybe preparing for an exam is a breeze while writing and completing an assignment is more time consuming. These are all personal questions, and to get a good idea of how to answer them, you will have to look at your past educational history and learn from experience.

4. Life Balance: Mindful Living

No one is “just” a student—we all have different things that make up certain aspects of our lives. Recognizing this will allow you to live a more fulfilling life but also provide you with other things to enjoy and value besides your education.

Some examples of this are extracurriculars (like clubs, societies, work and volunteering commitments), hobbies (like sports, fitness, artistic pursuits, or gaming), and even the necessary time you need to socialize with friends and family or have some restful “me-time”. There is no right or wrong answer to how much time you want to set aside for these activities; rather the question is what the right balance is for you. After all, doing what you love and enjoy will give you the energy needed to study and succeed in your education.

While balancing other activities and commitments with your education will give you less time to study, it will also help your mood and ensure that the time you DO spend studying is more fruitful and productive because you are less likely to burn out. So, the question of “how much should I study?” is dependent on your own personal life factors, and how much time you will need to balance other parts of your life with your education.

5. Personal Goals

Finally, what are your own personal goals regarding your education and degree?

This is where it is important to be honest with yourself. Even though we live in a world where adherence to “hustle culture” and exemplifying outstanding performance are upheld as great virtues, this model may not be the answer to the kind of life you want to live. Maybe after your degree, you want to get a job and never take another university course; in that case, getting a super high GPA is probably not something you really need to worry about. On the other hand, maybe grades are important for your future success, such as getting into graduate programs. In that regard, spending more time studying to get a higher GPA may be the best decision for you.

Regardless, what is important is having the ability to choose what is important to you. Do you need to get perfect grades, or can you have a more relaxed attitude towards your education and have more time to do other things? There is no moral imperative that we do perfectly in classes, so instead of falling into the pressure of perfectionism, spend some time determining what will be the best decision for you and make you the happiest.

Conclusion

I hope this article has demonstrated how the right amount of time to spend studying does not exist. Rather, it entirely depends on the individual student's needs, desires, ambitions, and separate external factors. Ultimately, making a conscious effort to decide how much time you will spend studying will allow you to take control and live a more meaningful and satisfying life.

To Study or Not to Study?