Estimate total weekly study load from your courses.
The long-standing academic guideline is two hours of independent study for every credit hour enrolled, so a fifteen-credit load implies thirty hours of study on top of fifteen hours in class — a forty-five hour week that surprises most first-year students. Multiplying by the term length shows the total commitment, and dividing the weekly study figure by the days you actually study gives the number to check against reality. If that per-day figure exceeds about five hours, the load is not sustainable alongside paid work.
Study load
Weekly study hours = credit hours x study hours per credit
Total commitment
Weekly total = study hours + timetabled class hours; term hours = weekly total x weeks
It is an average across course types. Quantitative and lab-based modules often demand three, while some lecture-only modules need less. Track your actual hours for two weeks and replace the multiplier with your own.
Work backwards from the total. Twelve credits implies roughly a 36-hour week including class, so a 20-hour job puts you near 56 hours before commuting. Beyond about 60 total, grades usually suffer.