Half of university students spend less than two hours a day in class

MORE than half of university students are now spending less than two hours a day in lectures for the first time, a survey has suggested.

The proportion of undergraduates committing 11 or more hours to classes each week has fallen by nearly 10 per cent in the past three years, dipping to 46 per cent this year.

A survey of more than 29,000 students, carried out by the charity Advance HE, found undergraduates were spending less time studying both in class and independently.

This year 44 per cent of students spent more than 11 hours studying independently, down from 52 per cent in 2016 – the lowest figure since the survey began in 2015.

Study hours spent in class have been progressively on the slide over the same period, with 55 per cent of undergraduates saying they spent 11 hours or more learning on campus in 2016.

It was suggested that the slump may be partly explained by a growing trend of students working part-time, but the proportion earning extra cash has remained stable since last year.

Jonathan Neves, one of the authors of the Advance HE report, expressed “concern” at the apparent drop in the number of hours committed to independent learning by students. He said studying away from the classrooms had “links to a wide range of skills which help students develop in a rounded way”.

“We can speculate as to the reasons behind this, but a high frequency of working for pay, together with a decline in recognition of the benefits, may be contributing to students being less able to prioritise their time in this way,” he told Times Higher Education.

Universities have been accused by ministers of operating like businesses and running “threadbare” courses. A lift on the cap on student numbers led many institutions to expand rapidly and has stoked fears that degrees may no longer be value for money.