Spring 1999

How Does Your Life Outside Class Affect Your Learning?
Margaret Gardiner, Graduate Student Associate, TRC and Department of English

We asked eight students from the College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences to describe their time commitments outside of class in order to determine how their extra-curricular activities affect their academic performance.

U.Va. students devote considerable energy, time, and dedication to extra-curriculars. Half the students reported working at jobs that range from two to twenty hours per week. Many participate in community service, athletics, and university organizations as well. Some even take part in informal, student-initiated reading groups. Personal relationships and family commitments also pose significant demands on their time.

Nevertheless, students still spend several hours a day on homework. The amount of time varies by semester and major. One fourth-year student reported spending between forty and fifty hours a week on schoolwork outside the classroom. The engineers in our group average seven hours a day, while the humanities majors spend four to five hours a day on homework. Students rated history and foreign language classes as the most time-intensive because of the reading involved.

Although students' opinions varied about whether extra-curriculars helped or hindered their academic performance, they all agreed that their activities outside the classroom proved essential to their development as human beings. Because students chose to spend time on extra-curriculars, those were more often the commitments about which students felt passionate. Many of these passions also foster education by allowing "real-world" application of skills or a "hands-on" way to learn. For example, one engineer holds a weekend job on a pit crew for the Winston Cup circuit. She observed that building and repairing racecars provides an important practical supplement to the theoretical knowledge of mechanical engineering that she is learning in the classroom. Another student said that her involvement in Amnesty International taught her about other areas of the world in a direct and personal way. In addition to activities that enhance a student's education, students reported that spending time away from schoolwork relieved stress and renewed sanity.

Our final question to the group was: "How do your teachers show their awareness of your 'outside' life?" Students noted that it was their responsibility to meet with professors and establish a rapport. Most agreed that it was important to discuss their personal lives with instructors only when it was affecting their studies. They suggested that professors show their students respect by notifying them of assignments at the beginning of the semester, rather than two weeks before the paper is due. Busy students also appreciate getting the questions for assignments ahead of time. They do not want special consideration; they simply want to manage their time effectively.