LETTER: More required for clas work

Dear Editor,

Your Nov. 28 article on “Athletics and Academics” quotes Brian Evans, assistant athletic director, as saying “The rule of thumb is for every hour you spend in class you should spend two hours outside of class studying if you want to achieve an A in that class.”

I don’t know where Mr. Evans found this rule, but it certainly doesn’t apply to classes I teach. I expect all my students to spend at least three hours outside class for each hour they spend inside class. I am aware that this means a full-time student would be spending at least 48 hours per week on his or her studies. I also realize students who have to work full time to support themselves during the school year would have a hard time maintaining full-time student status as well. However, most people don’t expect to be able to spend their full time twice over.

I’m sure my attitude is a result of my own experience. I managed to put in far more than 48 hours per week as an undergraduate. I was happy with my undergraduate education. I was challenged to think, and most of my thinking happened when I was by myself. I believe that increasing the in-class portion of my educational effort at the expense of the outside portion would largely have been a waste of my time.

Greg Jones