Time Management
BALANCING YOUR FIRST SEMESTER: IT’S ALL A MATTER OF TIME
A key method to balancing your first semester is to understand class expectations in college. One expectation will be
that you will spend more time studying outside of class than time spent in class. For every hour you attend class, it is
recommended that you study 2-3 hours outside of class.
For example, a full-time college student could attend classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.— a
total of 12 hours in class. To be successful, this student should study 24-30 hours a week outside of class.
Once you get a feel for the time it takes you to complete your work and thoroughly learn the material, you’ll be able to
balance your time better to incorporate other kinds of activities. Don’t overwhelm yourself during your first semester. As you
become accustomed to college life, managing your time will become easier. Use the grid below as a general guideline:
If you work:
Take no more than:
40 hours per week
6 units
30 hours per week
9 units
20 hours per week
12 units
5–15 hours per week 14–16 units
Course Units & Time
College work is measured by “credit hours” called units. In a lecture course, a unit is normally defined as one hour of lecture
per week. A three-unit course typically meets three hours per week. In a laboratory course, three hours in the lab per week
equals one unit.
Calculating Your GPA
Here’s a simple process for calculating and keeping track of your GPA.
Example Student Schedule
Points Scale (A=4; B=3; C=2; D=1; F=0)
Course
Units
Grade
Units x Grade pts.
Total Points
BIOL 1
4
A
4 x 4
=
16
PSYC 1A
3
B
3 x 3
=
9
ARTD 15A
3
C
3 x 2
=
6
KINI 18A
1
F
0 x 0
=
0
COUN 5
3
B
3 x 3
=
9
TOTAL
14 units
TOTAL = 40 Points
40 points divided by 14 units = 2.86 GPA
How to Find My Final Grades
There are two ways to find your final grades at the end of each term. You can access them through your MyMtSAC Portal
(
). After logging in, click “Get Started Now” under Mountie Academic Plan (MAP) Under “Student”
tab, click #16 (Final Grades) or #18 (View Unofficial Transcript)
3-Unit Class = 3 hours of classroom time
+ 6 hours of homework /outside assignments
9 hours total time
Full-time load = 12 units or 36 total hours
25
