SINGAPORE: A Singaporean student shared online that she’s been studying for 4-5 hours daily since the June holiday started. However, instead of patting her on the back, her parents told her that her efforts were “barely enough.”
She then asked on r/SGexams, “Like I set out tasks to complete daily and I do finish them so is studying 4-5 hours really not enough? Is it really a must to study 8-10 hours per day?!?!”
In the discussion thread, many Singaporeans agreed that the student should stick to her own pace and not be swayed by her parents’ opinions regarding the duration of her study periods.
This is because yielding to their expectations and prolonging her study hours could result in burnout, which can, in turn, compromise both her concentration and well-being.
One individual commented, “8–10 hours of study per day is really calling for a burnout! I used to do almost those hours in secondary school and it really got me so stressed out that I fell sick multiple times.”
A few also clarified that everyone has their own way of learning. What works for one person may not work for another, particularly regarding how long they can effectively study.
One individual said, “You can do notes for 10 hours straight but if nothing gets into your brain, it’s useless. However, if you make full use of just 1–2 hours and you learn something, that’s making good use of your time.”
Some also strongly emphasised ‘studying smarter, not harder.’ If the student feels that she can effectively absorb and understand her study materials within a 4-5 hour timeframe, then there’s no need to push beyond that.
One individual shared, “The quality of your study session is much more important than the duration. Even if you want to lengthen your study sessions, do it gradually.”
They also advised her to take breaks in between her sessions, as it will let her mind rest, boost her productivity, and help her retain information better. Specifically, they recommended a 5–10 minute break for every 40 minutes of studying.
One individual told her, “Take enough breaks in between to prevent yourself from burning out.”
Study finds that dedicating too many hours to studying is counterproductive
In 2022, NUS did a study on Singaporeans’ study habits and discovered that, on average, students spend approximately 50 hours every week studying.
That breaks down to roughly 28.6 hours for classes and another 22.2 hours for hitting the books outside school.
At first glance, this number may seem impressive, as it reflects how dedicated and hardworking Singaporean students are in their academics. However, as the study progressed, it shed light on an unexpected revelation.
Contrary to the common belief that more study time leads to better academic performance, the study highlighted that dedicating too many hours to studying can be counterproductive.
“The relationship between academic performance and out-of-school study time is positive up until 35 hours of study per week—and then becomes negative,” said Kelvin Seah Kah Cheng, a senior lecturer in the Department of Economics at NUS.
So, how many hours should students devote to studying?
As a few Singaporeans pointed out above, the ideal number of study hours can vary for each student since everyone has a unique learning style and preferences.
Nonetheless, Think Impact, a platform that provides in-depth analysis and insights on Education and Business trends, suggests that dedicating 3 to 4 hours daily is ideal, as this timeframe enables the brain to operate at its peak without getting overwhelmed.
While a student might opt to extend this duration, experts advise keeping it under 12 hours, as anything beyond that could lead to burnout.
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