<p>from what i hear few hours a week outside of class won't cut it in engineering...i'm not looking forward to it</p>
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I'm not surprised that many people find this excessive. There is no doubt you can pick a college that isn't challenging to you, within any given U pick classes that aren't that demanding, etc.
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<p>I think the mistake you're making is assuming that the only criterion for "challenge" is the amount of time you spend outside of class doing work or studying; in this case, 2-3 hours per hour spent in class.</p>
<p>I can assure you, I am by no means picking easy classes or an easy major or easy track; not the slightest bit. I am the complete opposite; I am someone who will, ninety nine times out of a hundred, pick the harder class or option (within reason) because I will not be content with myself if I pick any less than the most challenging.</p>
<p>The fact is, there is no one right way to study. I study and do homework about 3-4 hours a day (far less than the 5-7+ hours a day the "rule of thumb" would have me do).</p>
<p>It's not because it takes me a while to get things; I get things very fast. The reason is because I make sure I get things 100%; every little detail, every nuance, every instance, every minute concept.</p>
<p>It takes some people a lot more studying to accomplish the same; some less. To say that if you're not following the "rule of thumb" you're picking an easy track or that you're not doing well is just plain false. Nobody has a monopoly on study techniques. If studying 2-3 hours per hour in class is working well for you, then great; all that matters is that it's working. If you study 1-2 hours per hour in class and you're doing well, that's great too; again, because it's working. Many people never find a good or efficient way to study and they never find a way that works for them, which is why it doesn't matter how long you study or how you study as long as it works well for you.</p>
<p>IMO, you have to start studying well from the start just so that you don't fall behind. As long as you're internalizing and understanding the concepts, everything you do successively should be easier. Just don't slack, remove distractions (like, lock yourself in a room and give your computer's power cord to someone else) so that you have nothing to do BUT your course work.</p>