How Much Should You Study to Get the Best Grades?
The realistic study hours, secrets of top students, and the formula you can copy.
Getting top grades (1.0–1.3 in Germany, A/A+ elsewhere) is not about luck or “being a genius.”
It’s about how and how much you study.
Let’s break down the real numbers.
⭐ 1. How many hours do top students actually study?
Research from universities in Germany, the US, and the EU shows:
🎓 Average student:
→ 8–12 hours/week outside of classes
🎓 Good student (2.0–1.7):
→ 10–15 hours/week
🎓 Very good student (1.3–1.0):
→ 18–25 hours/week
🎓 Top 1% of students:
→ 25–35 hours/week
BUT extremely efficient (no wasting time)
So the real answer is:
👉 To get very good to excellent grades, you need
18–25 hours/week of high-quality studying.
⭐ 2. Why hours alone don’t matter
You can study 20 hours/week and still fail — if your methods are wrong.
Top students use effective methods, not more time.
❌ Passive studying (ineffective)
-
Highlighting
-
Rereading textbooks
-
Copying notes
-
Listening to lectures while distracted
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Studying only the night before the exam
✔ Active studying (highly effective)
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Solving practice sheets
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Making your own examples
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Testing yourself
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Teaching the material to someone
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Summarizing in your own words
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Practising old exams
Top grades come from active recall + spaced repetition — scientifically proven.
⭐ 3. The “3-Part Study Formula” of 1.0 Students
Every top student follows this pattern:
1️⃣ Daily Mini-Sessions (30–90 mins)
Keep topics fresh → prevents forgetting → easier exam prep.
2️⃣ Weekly Deep Work Sessions (2–4 hours)
For the hardest subjects (maths, physics, economics, engineering…).
3️⃣ Exam Phase Blocks (3–6 hours/day)
Only 4–6 weeks per semester — not forever.
This is where your grade is made.
This structure works for every major.
⭐ 4. Signs that you are studying “enough”
You should feel:
✔ ahead of the class
✔ confident about concepts
✔ able to explain topics without reading
✔ able to solve exam-like problems
✔ not panicking before exams
If you are always behind, confused, stressed, or re-learning old topics →
you’re not studying enough (or not studying the right way).
⭐ 5. Should you study every day?
Short answer: Yes — but only a little.
✔ Best system:
1–2 hours/day on weekdays
+
2–4 hours on weekends
This keeps your brain in learning mode and prevents burnout.
✔ Worst system:
Studying nothing for 2 weeks → then 10 hours/day in panic mode.
⭐ 6. How much should you study during exam season?
During exam preparation:
📌 For very good grades (1.3–1.0):
→ 3–6 hours/day, 4–6 weeks before exams
with old exams + exercises + summaries
📌 For extremely difficult subjects (advanced physics, math, engineering):
→ sometimes 6–8 hours/day, but only short-term.
⭐ 7. Example weekly study plan to get top grades
Monday–Friday
-
60–120 min: rewrite notes, summarize, small exercises
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20–30 min: vocabulary/formulas review
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30 min: active recall quizzes
Total: 1.5–2.5 hours/day
Saturday
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3–4 hours deep work (problem solving, essays, labs)
Sunday
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1–2 hours light revision
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rest of the day free
Total = 18–25 hours/week
Perfect for great grades.
⭐ 8. The secret nobody says
You don’t need to study 10 hours per day.
You need to study 2–4 hours every day — consistently.
That’s how students with a 1.0 GPA do it.
⭐ Conclusion
To get the best grades:
🎓 18–25 hours/week
of high-quality, active studying is enough for most subjects.
You don’t need to be a genius.
You need a system.
Your habits decide your GPA — not your talent.
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