Does 순공시간 (Study Time) Actually Matter?

As teenagers living in South Korea, we've all heard of this term: 순공시간. Students keep a stopwatch by them while they study and pause it during bathroom breaks, meals, etc. Basically anytime they wouldn't be studying. Then the time accumulated in the stopwatch would represent the time they've actually studied, which is their 순공시간. Some students would even cry just because they weren't able to fill in those 8 hours of 순공시간 that day. This is how much students care about it. But here comes the question: does it actually matter?

Through multiple research studies, it is proven that active studying (self-quizzing, flashcards, lecturing others) significantly outweighs passive studying (re-reading, highlighting, etc.).

Beyond scientific research, data also supports this idea. When researchers analyzed student performance data, it was shown that more study time does not correlate to better results. The correlation between the two was weaker than expected. What really mattered was how the time was used. Students who spent less time but used active learning methods often outperformed those who studied longer with passive study methods. Hence, from the data, we get to learn that study skills and efficiency plays a far more important role than simply attaining more hours of study. So instead of just sitting there and flipping through textbooks, take some time to strategize your studying and make it more efficient. Making your life more efficient and saving some time won't kill.

If you think about it, this eventually yields to a simple question: quantity or quality? Well, science simply proves that it's quality over quantity.

As AP exams are coming closer, here's a piece of advice: rather than just sitting on a chair, flipping over textbooks mindlessly, take 30 minutes to plan your study before you start.

Oh, and also, (although this term may be overused, but there's a reason for it) active study methods are strongly recommended.