Course Hero Uncovers the Three-Day Student

New research from Course Hero illuminates college study habits

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Aug 20, 2019, 09:09 ET

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Aug. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The average college student fits nearly an entire week's worth of studying into just three days a week. New research from Course Hero, the online learning platform that curates more than 30 million course-specific study resources, paints a dynamic picture of modern-day student life in which both important patterns and key differences emerge across universities.

The study began as an exploration of the give-and-take between sleep and studying and delivered key findings.

The three-day student
Course Hero's research shows students work most intensely on Mondays and that more than half of all studying (56%) takes place Monday through Wednesday. By Thursday, study rates begin to taper sharply as students head into the weekend.

Night owls
The national average for overnight studying (between midnight and 5 a.m.) is roughly 4% of daily studying. However, this number oscillates greatly between schools—Harvard University overnight studying averages 19%. Course Hero closely examined this phenomenon earlier this year in its Night Owl U ranking. Other high-ranking universities on this scale were Northeastern at 10% and University of Massachusetts at Amherst at 9%.

However, many students work through the evening. When you include studying that takes place between 9 p.m. and midnight, the amount of late-night and overnight studying rises to 25%, and as high as 28% on Sunday nights into Monday early mornings.

Challenges facing nontraditional students
Course Hero data shows that the pressures nontraditional students face are markedly different than those faced by traditional students. Community college students, in particular, show signs of time-management pressures and stay up significantly later to complete their coursework. Significant spikes in studying for community college students occur between midnight and 1 a.m.

"We care deeply about the student experience, and this study provides greater insight into the diversity of student experiences," said Andrew Grauer, Course Hero cofounder and CEO. "We are committed to overcoming issues of accessibility in higher education. This insight into student studying allows us to better empathize with our students and create a product that responds to a variety of needs and schedules."

Methodology
Course Hero's data is based on traffic to the platform during October 2018, a month least affected by school vacations. The analysis includes 2-year and 4-year colleges (both public and private/nonprofit).

Online schools with a national presence, where multiple time zones would interfere with analyzing time-of-day study patterns, were not included in the study. The Night Owl U analysis excluded all online universities, regardless of location.

About Course Hero
Course Hero is an online learning platform where members can access over 30 million course-specific study resources contributed by a community of students and educators. The platform includes practice problems, study guides, videos, class notes, and step-by-step explanations to help with every college class—from mathematics to literature, biology to history, accounting to psychology, and everything in between. Course Hero has been recognized as one of the 2018 Technology Fast 500 by Deloitte and named a 2019 Great Place to Work.

Connect with Course Hero at www.coursehero.com or on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest.

For more information, contact:
Grayling PR for Course Hero
[email protected]

SOURCE Course Hero