According to the experts, the amount of time during the school week that we should spend studying, depends on the number of hours we spend in class each week. Many educators feel that the formula should be two hours of study time for every hour spent in class. Using this formula a student taking twelve credit hours should spend twenty four hours each week studying. This adds up to thirty six hours between class time and study time. That's an astounding amount of time for studying, and to be frank, this number is highly inflated. Unless a student is pursuing an extremely difficult academic discipline, or needs extra help for some reason, most people do not need to spend anywhere near this amount of time hitting the books. The amount of time you should be studying each week is highly individualized. There is no correct formula for everybody. If you are unsure about the amount of time you should be studying each week, here are some questions for you to ponder.

How are Your Grades?

This is by no means the only guideline you should use, but it is a good place to start. After all, if your grades are good, you must be doing something right. Just make sure you are being honest with yourself. It's great if you have good grades because you truly understand the material. It's not so great if your grades are the result of getting lucky on a test or two, or having an instructor who is a lenient grader.

Are You Able to Participate in Class Discussions?

If you know the material well enough to participate in class discussions without getting lost, there is a good chance that you are spending an adequate amount of time studying. If you find yourself digging through your textbook to find answers and frequently getting embarrassed at having wrong answers, it is probably time to increase the amount of time you are studying in a given week.

Are You Successfully Completing Writing Assignments?

This is a big one. If you are writing essays and completing research papers successfully, chances are you have a firm grasp of the material you are learning. If you are struggling, or receiving poor grades on writing assignments, it is definitely time to buckle down and spend more time hitting the books.

What is Your Course Schedule?

Are you attending school everyday? Are you on a four-day school week? If you are on a four day school week, you often get more instruction time than when you are on a five day schedule. This could mean that some of this extra time reduces your need to study outside of school.

Hopefully, answering these questions has given you some insight into your study habits, and whether or not you are dedicating enough time to learning. If you believe you are not, don't worry. Simply increase your overall studying by an hour or two each week. After all, this only adds up to a few minutes each day.