College Students Studying Less

It has occurred to me that some students may feel that their first life battle is getting into college. Once there, do they know what to do with the gift they've been given -- or do they just bide their four years in anticipation of a diploma and the next step?

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I was looking ahead during my college years to what I might do afterward, rather than being totally committed to learning. I attended classes, wrote some pretty good papers (found a few recently) and learned a lot that I fear has long ago left my mind.

I also spent a lot of time studying -- or it seems to me I did. Apparently, though, the number of hours put into study is shrinking, according to some studies mentioned here.

Are students more efficient at studying because it takes less time to find information? Are they working jobs to pay for college, thereby cutting into study? With grade inflation, do students assume they will get a decent grade no matter how little they study?

Or is it that students just don't have the attention span anymore, given all the distractions and interruptions that our wired world brings? And does it matter?

I would say it is too soon to tell.