What does credit hours mean?

SSJ2MysticGohanX1000 · 05-09-2005, 05:21 PM

I saw that you need 12 credit hours to be considered full time. What exactly does that mean?

How much credit hours do most people take? Also how many classes do most people take a day in college?

im_blue · 05-09-2005, 05:33 PM

A class is usually 3 to 5 credit hours, which roughly refers to the number of hours of lecture per week. For example, a 3-hour class would meet MWF for 50 minutes or TuTh for one hour and 15 minutes. A 5-hour class might meet everyday for 50 minutes, e.g. foreign languages. Lab classes typically add one credit hour for the lab regardless of its length, so a chemistry class with 3 lectures and a 3-hour lab would be 4 hours. Most people take an average of 15-16 hours per term to graduate on time.

Eclipsed · 05-09-2005, 05:33 PM

you will have to check on what courses you are taking. Lets say freshman bio is 1.5 credit hours...all your classes have to add up to 12. If you take this many classes then u are considered fully enrolled. If not, you are considered a part-time student, and usually have to pay per credit hour. (other stuff i dont know much about *cheers)

SSJ2MysticGohanX1000 · 05-09-2005, 05:49 PM

wait so do an average full time student take about 12 hours of classes per week? which would equal about 3 hours of classes per day?

in high school, you had to take 7-8 hours of schools a day. so is a day of college classes really short?

undecided · 05-09-2005, 05:51 PM

The use of "hours" in credit hours is totally archaic. I had a lab that was worth 2 credit hours (quarter credit hours, to confuse the issue further), yet met for 5 hours a week. And, in case you're curious, it also didn't follow the formula for how many hours of homework/out of class time I spent on it. :P

The average load is between 12 and 15 units, depending on your school and whether they are semester or quarter. 12 units in one school might not be 12 hours in another.

SSJ2MysticGohanX1000 · 05-09-2005, 06:01 PM

so how many hours on average do a student spent in classes in college each day? can you just leave campus after all your classes end? do most students leave right after classes or hang around?

im_blue · 05-09-2005, 06:11 PM

An average student would spend about 15 hours per week in class (more if you take labs), so that's 3 hours per day. A lot of students don't even go to class regularly.

SSJ2MysticGohanX1000 · 05-09-2005, 06:14 PM

wow so that would equate to alot of free time because in high school we had to take 7 hours of class a day = 35 hours of class a week.

are the classes usually continuous? and do most students go home after the 3 hours of classes or hang around campus?

undecided · 05-09-2005, 06:17 PM

Classes are optional in the case of lectures, not so much in the case of seminars. That's a HUGE generalization, though, so beware following it. It behooves you (since you're paying $70+-$100+ per DAY of class) to attend everything whether you like it or not. You will sometimes get lectures (as large as 200 people) where they will take attendance via sign-in, and your attendance will be part of the grade.

Classes tend to interrupt your daily activities, rather than your daily activities interrupting your classes like in high school. Your schedule is highly variable and you more than likely will not be going to classes for that average of 3 hours all in one three hour block, or even on the same day. For example, my schedule this quarter includes a 11:00-12:10pm lecture on MWF, a seminar 7-8:45pm MW, a class on TTh 2-3:45pm and section on W at 9:30am. That leaves a lot of holes. What's the point of hanging around if I'm not doing anything?

SSJ2MysticGohanX1000 · 05-09-2005, 06:23 PM

wow, so if you don't live on-campus, what do you do during those gaps? do most ppl hang out in the library or chess clubs?

im_blue · 05-09-2005, 06:39 PM

If you live off-campus, you would probably hang out in the library between classes, which is good since you're forced to study and not goof off.

undecided · 05-09-2005, 06:43 PM

When the gap is short (an hour or two -- usually "can I drive home and back and spend more than 30 minutes at home?", and since the drive is 15 minutes each way), I just stay on campus and hang out. I usually head straight to the area around the next class and sit in the cafe, or outside if it's nice, and just do some reading and whatnot for the class. If it's long enough, though, I just go home and goof off.

SSJ2MysticGohanX1000 · 05-09-2005, 06:53 PM

do you live on campus or at home? what else is there to do in between classes? would you have to carry all your books with you in between classes?

ottothecow · 05-09-2005, 09:20 PM

Ahh, now it starts to make sense.

If you live on campus you can go back to your dorm (maybe not your room but the house lounge or similar) if you want. It makes it a lot easier if you have a class at 8 in the morning and another one at 6PM.

I know a girl living off campus (but with a car and within a not very long commute) who applied to the school late and was unable to get housing (big state U with a deadline for guaranteed housing). She is quite jealous of my friends who are coming in this year as freshman with housing.

quitejaded · 05-10-2005, 12:14 AM

What counts as a full year? Is it 24 credits? I've heard in some places its 30.