Effective study can be thought of as a function time multiplied by effort. A self Assessment of Effective Study Time can bring habits of effective study to the surface by focusing a student's attention on these two factors. Because it is largely a self assessment, its benefits derive from the accuracy and honesty with which the student logs the required data.

A student engages in this assessment by filling out a study log and then examining the log for trends. An accompanying set of assessment questions to assist in this examination is available through a highlighted link at the bottom of this page. Because a week of continuous involvement is required for this assessment, the simpler it is designed, the better.

A professor's participation in this assessment can involve individual consultation with students. Students might need help to see opportunities to change their habits and increase their study effectiveness. Students may also present numbers suggesting that their course workload is overly heavy. The purpose of this assessment is to increase study effectiveness, not to evaluate the weight of study relative to a student's other priorities. Therefore, for a professor to reduce coursework expectations merely on the basis of these "data" is probably unwise.

----T.A. Angelo and K. P. Cross, 1993. Classroom Assessment Techniques, 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass., p. 300-2.

Assessment of
Effective Study Time

Please keep track, in blocks of time rounded off to 30 minutes, of the time you spend studying, working on assignments, or doing any other academically-related work. Enter the data requested in the table below. For example, if you did academic work from 1:55 pm to 3:10 pm, fill in the lines next to 2:00 pm and 2:30 pm. Make notes of where you were and what you did. If you did group work, check the "&" column. Be sure to rate your own sense of effectiveness of each half-hour segment by using the scale below. It may help to log other activities like exercise, job, and sleep.

DAY #_____ Total hours spent on studying/writing/academic work = _______

At the end of a week of logging activities (7 of these pages), take some time to assemble and examine the log. Honestly answer the questions on the accompanying Study Effectiveness Assessment page. If you feel comfortable, compare what you've found with the findings of other students who have participated in this time/effectiveness exercise. One common adage is, for moderate grades, to work about 2 hours out of class for every hour spent in class. Discuss the discoveries in your log with your professors, advisors, or mentors.