What is College
Unlike grade school through high school which were measured in terms of time or years, college is measured in terms of units. Each person in college may reach their goals at different times because some may take less units than others. Some students may work so may only take a few units at a time, others may attend school full time, therefore reaching their goals faster. Everyone is different therefore, it is important to define what a unit is as this may help you to determine how long it make take you to reach your goals.
What is a unit?
A unit can be defined as one hour of lecture per week in a semester (16 weeks) Classes at Evergreen Valley College are anywhere from 1 unit all the way up to 5 units. For example, English 1A is a 3 unit course, therefore meets 3 hours a week for one semester.
For every unit of a course there are two hours of study for each unit. So the English 1A course is a 3 unit course and requires 3 hours of lecture time, but also requires 2 hours of homework for every unit. Here is the formula for determining the total time it would take to devote to a course.
1 unit= 1 hour of lecture
1 unit= 2 hours of homework
Total is 3 hours a week for a one unit class
Now let’s try the formula for a 3 unit course like English 1A.
Formula: 2 hours of study time for each unit taken
Example: 3 unit course
In class time = |
3 hours per week (1 hour for each unit) |
Study time = |
+ 6 hours per week (2 hrs per unit x 3 units= 6 hours) |
Total Time |
9 hours/week for one 3-unit class |
You are considered a full time student if you are enrolled in 12 units. The total time you should budget is 36 hours per week for school and work (12 hours in class plus 24 hours of study time =36 hours). If you are receiving financial aid, you may receive more aid if you are a full time student. If you are covered under a parent or guardian's insurance, if you are an international student, a student in athletics or an EOPS student you need to have at least 12 units.
