High School vs. College: What’s the big difference?

Making the transition from high school to college, while fun and exciting, can be very challenging. Why? College is a lot different from high school. The more prepared you are to face these differences, the more successful you might be. Here are just a few of the differences you can plan on experiencing during your freshman year of college.

Independence

If you are living away from home during college, you will be faced with a great deal of independence that you did not have in high school. You will be able to come and go as you please. You will decide if and when you’re going to study. You can socialize when you wish. Mom and Dad won’t be around to monitor all of your activities. The choices you make, and the repercussions of those decisions, will be yours and yours alone.

Roommate(s)

Whether you’re living on campus in the residence halls or off campus in an apartment, chances are good that you will have a roommate. You will have to work with this person to make your living arrangement a successful one. Differences in lifestyles and values will have to be considered and discussed in order for you and your new roomie to live "in peace." While having a roommate can be a great, growing experience, it can be challenging as well. If living on campus, you will also have to adjust to living on a floor with lots of other college students. While this can certainly be a lot of fun there will be times when it’s "not so much fun." You might feel that it’s too noisy or you may miss your personal privacy. At any rate, your new living environment will be a lot different than residing at home with your family.

Daily Schedule

Your class schedule will be much more flexible than the schedule you kept in high school. If you are carrying 16 credits, you will spend approximately 16 hours per week in the classroom. That means the rest of the week will be spent as you determine. You will even get to determine what your class schedule will look like. You may decide to schedule morning classes and have your afternoons off or vice versa. You may try to put together a class schedule where you have no classes on Fridays. The choice is yours to make. Keep in mind that your first semester schedule won’t be as flexible as incoming freshmen are usually the last to register for courses and your options may be more limited. While all the flexibility you will have each day may be a welcome change from high school, it can be problematic. Many freshmen discover that they waste a lot of the free time that they have. Rather than catching up on reading, studying, or working they find that they spend a lot of this time just hanging out and socializing. Before they realize it they are falling behind in classes. Be sure to plan a daily schedule that includes classes, studying, work hours, organizational meetings and other important commitments.

Classes

Perhaps the biggest difference you will notice between high school and college will be in the classroom. Unlike high school, you will be in classes taught by faculty members who have a master’s degree or doctorate in the area of their discipline. The expectations that these faculty members have for you as well as the itinerary for the course will be presented to you during your first class meeting in your "course syllabus." The syllabus will also tell you when all of your exams will take place for the course as well as any papers or projects that you will have to complete and their due dates. Don’t expect faculty members to remind you when exams are coming up or when these projects are due. It is your responsibility to save this syllabus and be prepared for each class as noted. Faculty will also expect you to be prepared for class. If the syllabus notes that you will discuss chapter two of your text next Wednesday, chances are that your instructor is expecting that you will have read the material prior to arriving for that class.

Class Attendance Requirements

Another big change will be attendance requirements. You will find that many faculty members do not require attendance. It will be up to you and you alone, to be sure that you are attending class. Be cautious when choosing not to attend a class. You don’t want to develop a habit that may lead to a poor grade in the course. Skipping classes tends to have a snowball effect. It’s starts out slowly and builds as the semester wears on.

Class Size

Class size may be different than what you experienced in high school. You may have some classes with 20 or 30 students and others in lecture halls with hundreds of students. It is up to you to adapt to your classroom environment so that you can be successful. Tip for success: Get to know your professors. Take advantage of the opportunities you will have to get to know your professors. Establishing a positive relationship with your professors can prove to be very beneficial throughout the semester.

Closing Thoughts

There are plenty of differences between high school and college that you will discover when you embark on your journey as a college student. Keep an open mind, find some upper-class student role models, and take advantage of the opportunities and services available to help you succeed. College is a great experience! In fact many college graduates will tell you that college was the best time of their lives. Get set to create some fond memories, new friendships and a new lifestyle! Good luck!