What does it mean by credit hours?
What does it mean by credit hours?
Credit hours are the form of measurement most universities use to indicate how many credits a course is worth, based on the time you will likely spend on the class each week.
How is credit hours calculated?
One credit hour is equal to 15 to 16 hours of instruction. Your credit hours are calculated over the full semester, which is generally 16 weeks. This averages about 3 hours of classroom time per week for the full 16-week semester. Generally speaking, one class is about 3 credit hours.
Is 17 hours too much?
The number of classes you take are really more telling than the number of credit hours you have. 17 credit hours is only 2 more than 15, so it’s not that bad. A whole extra class (6 classes instead of 5) would be substantially more difficult since an extra class means extra homework and such.
How many credits should I take as a freshman?
While it might seem strange, for many students it’s better to take about 15 credits in their first semester. This is recommended because 12 credits are usually the minimum to be considered a full-time student at the college. It can even affect tuition in some cases.
How many classes are 12 credits?
4 courses
Can I take 5 courses in semester?
Yes. In most colleges, you need to average about 15 credits per semester to graduate on-time. (120 credits / 15 credits per semester = 8 semesters = 4 years). So universities are designed for you to be able to be successful taking 5 classes per semester (at least in theory).
