Studying and preparing for class is not on many students' lists of things to do, according to a national survey.
The National Survey of Student Engagement reported Ball State University students spend less time preparing for class than other Midwest public universities but experience a more beneficial campus learning environment.
Marilyn Buck, associate provost and dean of University College, said 640 freshmen and 773 seniors at Ball State participated in the online study.
NSSE director Alexander McCormick said the purpose of the survey is to evaluate the extent to which students engage in activities, such as discussing material with a professor outside of class, that are known to produce desirable learning outcomes.
Buck said the survey showed 69 percent of freshmen and 65 percent of seniors polled spend less than 16 hours per week studying for their classes.
"Clearly the results show that the students need to spend more time outside of class preparing for class," she said.
University faculty would like to see students spend two hours studying for every one credit hour they are enrolled in, Buck said.
Ron Kovac, an information and communication sciences professor, said his students often come to class unprepared and expect him to spend class time reviewing what they should have learned beforehand. Students who complete outside assignments and come to every class generally do better than those who do not, he said. Although there will always be brilliant students and easy classes, most students need to study to do well, Kovac said.
"It's a free country and students have a right to fail," he said. "If they don't come prepared, they probably will fail."
Senior Daniel Crutcher, an advertising and psychology major, said he spends three to six hours per week studying, but good grades come naturally to him.
"Ninety percent of [class preparation] is just showing up as long as you listen," he said.
Crutcher, who has made the Dean's List for the last four semesters, said interest and relevance of class subject matter play a large role in his motivation to study.
"If you can understand how what you're doing relates to what you'll be doing in the future, there's more incentive to study," he said.
Not all students are relaxed about studying.
Sophomore Megan Andrews, an electronic art and animation major, said she definitely learns more when she is prepared for class.
"The more you learn on your own through studying out of class, the easier it is to learn in class," she said. "The professor then has the opportunity to go beyond the basics."
Andrews is taking 18 credit hours and spends one or two hours studying per night. She said she would be upset if learning her class material came too easily to her.
"I want classes to be challenging because I'm here paying for them," she said. "I get excited when I teach myself something."
McCormick said the NSSE's survey results are slightly flawed because not every student asked participates in the survey. Also, there is no way of telling what the students are qualifying as "unprepared" for class. They could consider it completely blowing off assignments or just not finishing an entire chapter of reading.
Buck said that despite students' unimpressive study habits, the survey showed Ball State ranked significantly higher than other universities in immersive learning experiences, student-to-faculty interaction and a more supportive campus environment for both freshmen and seniors.
Buck said she will present Ball State's survey results to the Board of Trustees at their next meeting.
NSSE results
Approximate number of hours per week Ball State students spend preparing for class.
Freshmen (640 polled)Less than five hours - 14 percentSix to 10 hours - 28 percent11 to 15 hours - 27 percent16 to 20 hours - 15 percentMore than 20 hours - 17 percent
Seniors (773 polled)Less than five hours - 18 percentSix to 10 hours - 26 percent11 to 15 hours - 21 percent12 to 20 hours - 15 percentMore than 20 hours - 19 percent
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