For example, a one-credit hour course would be one where you would meet once a week for one hour. Most typical college classes are three credit hours, which translate to spending three hours per week in the classroom. To further simplify matters, let's assume you sign up for a three-hour college algebra course. You would meet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in 50-minute sessions or meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays for one hour and 15 minute sessions. At the end of the semester, you would receive three hours of credit for the course.
Students can also enroll in some courses that are four credit hours.
These would include lab-based sciences where a student will meet for class in typical fashion but will also have a lab session once per week. Carrying 15 credit hours simply means having several classes that amount to 15 total credit hours. A typical load for most college students is between 12 and 18 hours per semester. The role of an adviser in college is to aid students in selecting classes that help them meet their degree requirements. Each semester a student will meet with their adviser to choose classes for the following semester that will satisfy the course requirements needed to receive a degree from the university.