OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Study Time Calculator
Weekly Study Hours from Class or Credit Hours
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How the Study Time Calculator works
This study time calculator works out how many hours a week to study from your class or credit hours, spreads them over your study days, totals them for the term, and turns a revision target into hours a day before an exam.
How the study time calculator works
The usual formula: most US colleges expect two hours of study outside class for every credit hour, and three for hard subjects. Study hours per week are credit hours × the ratio. The daily figure divides that by your study days, and the term total multiplies it by the number of weeks. For an exam, the revision hours are divided by the days left from today.
First example. 15 credit hours at two hours each is 30 hours of study a week, or 5 hours a day over 6 days. With class time that is 45 hours a week, 113% of a 40-hour working week, and 450 study hours over a 15-week semester.
Second example. 12 credit hours on a three-to-one rule is 36 hours of study a week, 7 hours 12 minutes a day over 5 days, and 48 hours a week in total.
How many hours do students really study? Often fewer. The two-to-one rule is a planning guide that comes from how US credit hours are defined. Many students study less in light weeks and more before exams, so use the weekly total as a budget rather than a fixed daily quota.
Weekly study hours by credit load, with the common two- and three-to-one rules
| Credit hours | Study at 2:1 | Study at 3:1 | Per day at 3:1 (6 days) | Class + study at 3:1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.5 | 4 |
| 2 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 8 |
| 3 | 6 | 9 | 1.5 | 12 |
| 4 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 16 |
| 5 | 10 | 15 | 2.5 | 20 |
| 6 | 12 | 18 | 3 | 24 |
| 7 | 14 | 21 | 3.5 | 28 |
| 8 | 16 | 24 | 4 | 32 |
| 9 | 18 | 27 | 4.5 | 36 |
| 10 | 20 | 30 | 5 | 40 |
| 11 | 22 | 33 | 5.5 | 44 |
| 12 | 24 | 36 | 6 | 48 |
| 13 | 26 | 39 | 6.5 | 52 |
| 14 | 28 | 42 | 7 | 56 |
| 15 | 30 | 45 | 7.5 | 60 |
| 16 | 32 | 48 | 8 | 64 |
| 17 | 34 | 51 | 8.5 | 68 |
| 18 | 36 | 54 | 9 | 72 |
| 19 | 38 | 57 | 9.5 | 76 |
| 20 | 40 | 60 | 10 | 80 |
| 21 | 42 | 63 | 10.5 | 84 |
| 22 | 44 | 66 | 11 | 88 |
| 23 | 46 | 69 | 11.5 | 92 |
| 24 | 48 | 72 | 12 | 96 |
FAQ
How many hours should I study per credit hour?
The usual rule is two to three hours of study for each hour in class. A 15-credit semester means about 30 to 45 hours of study a week.
Is 30 hours of study a week too much?
For a full-time college load it is normal. Added to 15 hours of class it makes a 45-hour week, similar to a full-time job with some overtime.
How do I plan revision for an exam?
Estimate the hours the material needs, enter the exam date, and the calculator divides those hours by the days left. Starting earlier lowers the daily load.
What if my course uses ECTS credits?
One ECTS credit is 25 to 30 hours of total work. A 30-credit semester is about 750 to 900 hours, or roughly 40 to 45 hours a week over 20 weeks including class time.
Does the calculator count weekends?
Only if you include them. Enter 7 study days to spread the hours over every day, or 5 to keep weekends free. The weekly total stays the same; only the hours per day change.
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