With the rate of student workers drastically increasing over the years, it is not strange to wonder how many hours a part-time student spends studying.
Part-time student hours offer some level of flexibility that makes it possible for students to learn and avoid taking student loans.
This article explores just how long part-time student hours are, the benefits of being a part-timer and how it differs from full-time studies.
Who is a part-time student?
Part-time students are non-traditional students who pursue higher education while maintaining obligations to their families and/or employers, living off-campus, and maturing physically.
This means that fewer course credits are required to be a part-time student than a full-time student throughout a semester.
There are several reasons why students can decide to continue their education part-time. The ability to juggle studies with employment, family and other responsibilities is one advantage of enrolling in a higher education program part-time.
However, keep in mind that not all programs will allow part-time students to attend. Depending on the institution, different programs may be offered in a part-time arrangement.
How many hours do part-time students study?
Studying part-time at a regular institution is essentially similar to doing so at a pace that is half that of a full-time student. It will take you roughly 15 to 18 hours per week to learn.
Part-time enrollment is anything less than full-time enrollment, which at least in the USA is defined as 12 credits or more per semester.
Depending on the conditions of your admission, you must be registered for at least 50 per cent (6 credits or more every semester) to be regarded as a part-time student.
Additionally, you would need to enroll in a few more credit hours of coursework each semester as a part-time student than what is necessary for full-time enrollment in order to complete a Bachelor’s degree in the conventional 4 years.
You would need to enroll in 15 credit hours per semester on average for a degree program that, for example, required a total of 120 credit hours. However, this would also depend on the classes you registered for.
Two classes taken as a part-timer may require six to ten hours of class time, including homework.
If you were enrolled in a 4-unit course, you would meet twice a week, but the extra units may need you to spend an additional 6 hours in class.
What is the difference between part-time and full-time students?
The number of credits taken each semester is the primary distinction between part- and full-time students.
Twelve credits, or around four classes, are often required for full-time students. Part-time schooling on the other hand typically entails two to three courses or six to eleven credits.
The ideal study demand for part-time students is about 11 sessions of 29 hours a week. This means that part-time students have a total study and paid work time of 49 hours.
Full-time students, however, learn and study for about 37 hours a week, and have no specific duration for working paid jobs.
College students who take fewer than 12 credits are deemed part-time. You might only be able to enroll in one class at a time at some schools. A part-time course may also typically require 10 to 15 hours of weekly study.
Benefits of being a part-time student
You’ll have more schedule freedom if you’re a part-time student. After all, choosing two classes that don’t overlap is much simpler than attempting to fit in five.
You can work additional hours as you progress through college if your schedule is flexible. Since you’ll have more time to work, studying part-time makes it simpler to pay for tuition as you go. If you don’t want to take on large debts or can’t acquire scholarships, this is really helpful.
You can obtain in-state residency and thus in-state tuition by enrolling part-time in school, which is advantageous. The reason for this is that most states restrict full-time students from obtaining residency.
FAQs
What are considered full-time student hours?
A full-time student attends classes for more than 15 hours a week and spends about 30 hours studying.
A minimum of 12 credits, or around four classes every semester, must be taken in order to be considered a full-time student.
What jobs are ideal to get as a part-time student?
Ideal jobs to get as a part-time student especially one on a student visa include; barista jobs, dog walking, sales associate, bartending, virtual assistant jobs, transcription and freelance writing, warehouse worker, etc.
How many hours can a part-time student work in the USA?
You are permitted to work on campus throughout the academic year for up to 20 hours per week. However, you can work up to 40 hours per week during school breaks.
Conclusion
Part-time student hours are considerably short (10 to 16 hours weekly) when compared with full-students. However, they allow you to pursue other interests.
This makes part-time schooling more favoring people who wish to learn while dedicating time to family or making a living.
However, there is a downside to this for international students. This is because the United States limits the work hours for people with student hours to 20 hours a week.
Violation of this law may result in the deportation of the student. Hence there is a limit to how much you can earn.
Additionally, depending on the institution, some part-time courses may allow students who wish to finish within the traditional four years to take up extra courses. However, this may take a toll on the student’s health or academics.
Are you finding it difficult to study as a result of mixing your part-time schooling with a job? Discover the best time to study and how to make it work with your schedule.
I hope you found this article helpful. Thanks for reading.
