Commonly Asked Academic Questions “How many credit hours should my son or daughter schedule?”
“My son or daughter has to work. How many hours should they work per week?”
A first-time freshman should schedule 12–15 hours in the first semester, which is a reasonable load for a good student. Whether or not the student must work should be considered in making this decision. Note that if a student schedules fewer than 15 hours in any semester, they may not graduate at the end of eight semesters (four years) unless these hours are made up in another semester or summer session.
The optimal maximum load for outside employment is 15–20 hours per week. Working more than 20 hours per week can place a strain on a student’s ability to have adequate time to study as well as time for outside interests or obligations. Students who are interested in working on campus can inquire about Work-Study eligibility and/or availability at the college Work-Study office in Foster Hall 221 or inquire about other (nonfederal Work-Study) on-campus jobs at the Office of Career Services in Agnes Edwards Hall 104.
“How important is class attendance?” Class attendance is incredibly important! Attending class regularly is the easiest thing students can do to ensure a higher class grade. Coupled with an adequate study schedule, students who attend class do better academically than students who skip class. Specific class attendance policies are dictated on course syllabi and are at the discretion of faculty members teaching courses. Extenuating or extreme circumstances (extreme illness, family death, etc.) may cause students to miss class for extended periods of time. In these cases, students should contact the Dean of Students Office at (337) 482-6276 or deanofstudents@louisiana.edu to get an extended absence excuse.
“How many credit hours must a student earn to maintain TOPS eligibility?” A student on Louisiana TOPS must earn 24 semester hours in the Academic Year (August–July). Students must be registered for 12+ credit hours on the 14th class day in order to receive TOPS in any given semester. The total of 24 semester hours for TOPS eligibility must be earned over the course of the fall semester, winter intersession, spring semester, May intersession, and summer term. Up to date TOPS information can be found at osfa.la.gov/tops.
“How many hours a week should my son or daughter study?” In general, a student should be studying 2 hours outside of class for each credit hour they take during a semester. This means that if a student is enrolled in 15 credit hours, they should be spending approximately 30 hours outside of class per week studying and preparing for class. Many students underestimate the number of hours needed to study and do well in college courses. Encourage your student to spend adequate time studying and preparing. Their coursework should be the first priority.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
9
