In an article on the State University of New York at Buffalo website, Jeffrey R. Young likens college to a job and suggests that students spend the same amount of time on their coursework as they would at the office; if a job requires you to spend 40 hours at work, you should spend 40 hours at least on school. For example, if you signed up for 15 credits, that puts you at about 15 hours a week in the classroom, leaving you with another 25 hours outside of class to study to reach 40 hours. You should spend roughly twice the time studying as you do in class.
Many students are surprised by the amount of work they need to do in college compared to high school. According to the Cornell College website, a typical high school course load requires you to be in class for eight hours a day, five days a week, with only about one hour of study time each night. College differs from this, as you are now expected to do more of the work outside of class. For example, you may spend a total of three hours a week in a class, but spend nine hours outside of that class to complete all of your coursework.
To successfully tackle your new scheduling requirements, the College Parents of America website suggests that you create a weekly log of your activities. This gives you a realistic idea of how you can add study time to your schedule should you need it. Some classes may require more of your attention than others. For example, if you find the subject matter of a class very difficult, studying for that class may require eight hours of study instead of the three or four you spend on easier classes.
William J. Rapaport of the University of New York at Buffalo Department of Computer Science and Engineering cautions students not to think that study time equals homework time. Homework involves completing an activity such as an essay that you'll turn in. Study time involves going over your notes, memorizing information and reading your required texts. These activities allow you to participate in class discussions and to master the subject over time, but may not give you anything concrete to turn in.