Course Load Calculator
The weekly hours a course load actually demands — contact plus independent study — and whether it fits alongside paid work.
The standard guidance is two to three hours of independent study for every contact hour.
How the course load calculator works
The standard guidance is two to three hours of independent study for every contact hour. A four-subject load with three contact hours each is 12 contact hours and 24 to 36 independent, which is 36 to 48 hours a week before anything else.
That is why full-time study plus more than about 15 hours of paid work goes wrong. This makes the arithmetic explicit rather than leaving it as a surprise in week six.
Formula: weekly = subjects × (contact + contact × study ratio)
Worked examples
| Inputs | Study hours per week | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Four subjects and 15 hours of work | 36 | 36 study hours, 55 committed |
| Three subjects | 27 | far more workable |
| No paid work | 36 | a normal full-time week |
FAQFrequently asked questions
How many hours should I study per contact hour?
Two to three is the standard guidance. Quantitative subjects tend toward three; reading-heavy ones vary week to week.
How much paid work fits with full-time study?
Around 12 to 15 hours. Beyond 20, results typically suffer — the calculator shows why in hours rather than as advice.
Is a four-subject load standard?
It is the usual full-time load in Australia and the UK. US institutions count credit hours instead, typically 12 to 15 for full-time.
Does the load spread evenly?
No. It clusters brutally around assessment deadlines, so the weekly average understates the peak by a long way.
What if I am studying part-time?
Enter the subjects you are actually taking. The per-contact-hour ratio does not change with load.
Where these figures come from
- Brysbaert (2019), Journal of Memory and Language — How many words do we read per minute? — the 238 wpm silent reading rate, from 190 studies
- Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency — the Australian higher education regulator
Last checked: September 2026. Reading and writing rates are from published meta-analyses, cited on the page.