Professors overestimate time students spend studying for classes

While Penn students' preparation time for classes is on par with that of students in other universities, it is much less than what is expected by professors.

A study released last week by the National Survey of Student Engagement revealed that professors estimate that students prepare 25 hours a week for their classes. Most students surveyed, however, said that they do not come close to that number.

Although Penn students were not among the 163,000 freshmen and seniors polled nationwide, many on campus said that the survey results reflect their study habits.

College freshman Amanda Feldman, who says she studies about 10 hours a week, called the 25-hour expectation unrealistic.

"That's a lot," Feldman said. "Twenty-five hours of straight studying would actually be detrimental. The amount of sleep you would get could harm your grades."

Janet Tighe, director of the Health and Societies Program and professor of history and sociology of science, seemed to agree more with Feldman than the average teacher polled. She said that she expects her students to spend two to three hours per week in preparation for her class.

Tighe added that she does not think the 25-hour figure is accurate.

"I think like many campuses, Penn undergraduates study in spurts," Tighe said, adding that the amount of time studying depends on the student's course load each semester.

Some Penn professors, however, agree with the national expectations.

"Three hours for every one hour in class," Political Science professor Robert Vitalis said of the ratio of outside preparation that he demands from his students.

Describing undergraduate studies as a "full-time job," Vitalis added that he expects students to spend in total 40 hours per week studying.

Some students said Vitalis' assessment was a realistic representation of their study habits.

College freshman Risa Chalfin estimated that she spends 30 hours or more studying per week.

"I can't tell if that's normal because I'm only taking four classes," she said, adding that she might spend even more time studying if her course load were heavier.

Most students' grades, however, do not seem to reflect their shortened study time in comparison to professors' expectations. NSSE reported that 40 percent of students say they earn mostly A's, while 41 percent say they earn mostly B's.

Despite study-time suggestions, there does not seem to be a set amount of time necessary to ensure that students succeed.

"The number depends on each person," said Myrna Cohen, director of the Weingarten Learning Resources Center, adding that "there isn't a magic number."

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