<p>How much time do students need to spend on out of class homework/studying in order to do well at Colorado College? Is there time for social life/other activities or do students' have to dedicate most of their time to studying?</p>
<p>LOL–although my S is finishing his Junior year and has done extremely well in his academics–I have no idea the number of hours he spends studying. </p>
<p>I do know that CC DOES have a lot to offer outside the Block course.</p>
<p>[Colorado</a> College | Student Life](<a href=“http://www.coloradocollege.edu/welcome/CCFacts/studentlife.asp]Colorado”>http://www.coloradocollege.edu/welcome/CCFacts/studentlife.asp)</p>
<p>Also, CC offers adjunct courses throughout the year. Adjuncts are courses offered outside the normal Block time and successful completion is 1/4 of a unit for each adjunct.</p>
<p>My S has had friends and acquaintances who run the spectrum of non-academic interests. I have heard no complaint that there isn’t time for a social life.</p>
<p>I took a class there over the summer. From what I saw, the amount of time spent studying depends on the class. I took an econ class, and the time spent outside of class was about an hour or two, plus an extra hour a day towards the end of the block when i was writing my paper. Others took fiction writing classes, which took somewhere between 30-60 mins/day. Literature classes tend to require more time (sometimes whole classics overnight). It truly depends on the class. studying time can go from anytime between 30 mins and 4 hours. it depends on the day, the class and the assignment. However, I am convinced that CC students spend less time out of class studying because they only have to worry about one class at a time. Rather than doing readings for five or six, they focus on the one. it also keeps students from procrastinating as much… that’s not really an option when you have homework or readings everyday. this way it’s more spread out… they do the same work over a years time, but less work at one time. If that makes sense lol.</p>
<p>awesome thanks guys!! i definitely think that sounds manageable</p>
<p>As the parent of a CC sophomore I was surprised by whoaness’ post. Based upon what my S tells me he spends WAY more than 30-60 minutes a day studying ! I am sure it varies with each class but I would be surprised if you could find an degree seeking student with good
grades who keeps the study schedule claimed by whoaness. Also, although you take one class at a time–one semester=3.5 weeks----so you do a semester’s worth of studying in 3.5
weeks. You can’t compare it to just taking one class per semester. When my S took Organic Chem he was studying about 7-8 hours a day in addition to class and labs and only going out one night per week.</p>
<p>Like I said it totally depends on the class. I know a bunch of kids who take tons of math, science class for their majors etc. and spend as much as 3 hours a day on work, plus the time in class/lab and study groups. If it’s an English/lit class you can find yourself with as much work (if not more: crime in punishment in one night. Enough said). But then there are classes that don’t require as much. I had a few friends who took a fiction writing class and didn’t spend quiet that much time doing homework. Maybe an two hours (max). And yes, orgo does take up quiet bit of time (and happens to be a VERY challenging course).
You do a semester’s work in 3.5 weeks, but you also only have to worry about one class. Swimming08, I agree that it doesn’t mean it’s any easier. However:
*Your teacher is only teaching one class at a time. This means easier access to them.
*Your classmates are only taking that class. This means that group projects, study groups aren’t interrupted due to the fact that your study mates or group members have other classes they have to go to.
*You don’t have to fight for lab time. When you’re in a science class, you’ll understand the importance of this.</p>
<p>There are a ton of other pros, and also some cons.
*you have 3.5 weeks. for 3 plus months of work. yeah, it can get stressful. Students learn to cope though, and i’m sure you will too.
*If you end up not loving the class you’re in, you’re there for 3.5 weeks. Sorry.
*The same things expected of a student going through a regular schedule are expected of CC blockers. You have papers, research, reading, homework (Regardless of what people tell you, you will have homework in most classes), midterms, and finals. Once again, you’ll learn to deal.
*The lottery system… you can’t get any class you apply to. It’s up to the gods 
(my way of saying i’m not a hundred percent sure of how it happens… point based on seniority, I believe. Swimming08… want to enlighten us?)</p>
<p>So. Pros and cons. As far as time is concerned it depends. How much time does an AP class require of you (class time + homework time will = the homework time at the college level. that plus the time spent in class and labs will equal your total time spent studying) ? Depends on the class/teacher/homework that night, right? Well, same case with any college class (CC or not). I can say with some certainty, that when midterms and finals come around everyone spends hours studying. That much you can count on. But then again, good luck escaping that in any sort of study schedule.
And if it makes you feel any better… they give you five days to recover with block breaks ;)</p>
<p>and sorry for the spelling and grammatical mistakes… haha. long night :D</p>
<p>whoaness, thanks for your recent post. I think it gives prosepective students a more realistic description of what to expect under the block plan. As an “old” person, this method of communicaiton reminds of texting —general statements can sometimes be misinterpreted…
or maybe as a “girl” I just use to many words and spend too much time qualifying my statements …that is what the men in my family would say. Frankly the block system seems
overwhelming to me. My S tells me it does vary from professor to professor and subject to subject and that the work load is no different than the system plan, you just work on a “different beat”.</p>
<p>in a hurry —sorry for my typos.</p>
<p>point of clarification–whoaness is not a college student and has only attended a CC summer course.</p>
<p>The course selection process seems to work at least as well as other systems. In now going on three years, my junior S at CC has not gotten the class he wanted (on the first attempt) exactly twice.</p>
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<p>Same with my S, except he always emphasizes that having to prepare for only one exam (rather than 5), never having a final after a major break (Thanksgiving, Winter or Spring) and having the ability to “focus” on a single subject matter makes for (him) a very different experience than “the other way.”</p>
<p>Thanks 07DAD. My S has said the exact same thing.
BTW, I meant to say semester not system.</p>
<p>True, I only did a summer course. I lived on campus and went to classes etc., and was only a full time student for one block. However, I am getting my information from the same sources as the parents… students who are currently attending, teachers from my school who are CC alums (both recent and some from many years back), and pieces I’ve seen on the CC website.
So, in short, I would contact a CC student and talk to them yourselves. Go to the open house. Sit in on a class. We’re all secondary sources, and we can only give you so much information.</p>
<p>and in reference to what 07DAD said regarding having to prepare for only one class: That’s exactly what I meant by saying that in some regards the block system can be easier. None the less, it’s isn’t less work, just less stressful at times.</p>