Time Demands of College Courses

The faculty and administration of SVSU hope that each course taken by students is a worthwhile and productive experience. That outcome will require an investment of time. Many, if not most, SVSU students are employed, and cannot afford to stop employment while they go to school. Many also are parents, and/or face other demands on their time. When planning course load, the information below will help take into account the time required for course work.

The general guideline is that for every credit taken in class, students need to study approximately two additional hours every week. This amount of effort usually is needed to maintain and perform at reasonable standards. Overall, students should consider that a course load of 12 credits is equivalent to a full-time, 40-hour-per-week job. If, for example, a student is employed 30 hours per week and is taking 12 credits in school, that student will be working 70 hours total per week — with school and employment combined. At least that will be true if the student wants to do reasonably well in classes. This guideline is a low estimate; some students may need to spend more time, depending on the nature and difficulty of the particular course, knowledge of prerequisite material, studying efficiency, and other factors. This guideline is a common standard used at many universities nationwide. Students at Saginaw Valley State University can maximize the quality of their education by following this formula.