Differences Between High School
and College
Differences Between High School and College
• Time Management in High
School
– You have a regular scheduled
day from 8:10-3:35.
• Choosing Responsibly in
College
– You often have hours
between classes; class time
varies from day to evening;
you may have class only on
M-W-F or T-Thurs; you may
spend 12-16 hours each week
in class.
• Time Management in High
School
– You can count on parents and
teachers to remind you of
your responsibilities.
• Choosing Responsibly in
College
– You manage your own time.
You must balance your
responsibilities and set
priorities.
Differences Between High School and College
• Going to H.S. School
– Classes generally have no more
than 30 students
• Succeeding in College Classes
– Classes may have 100 students or
more
• Going to H.S. School
– You may study outside of class as
little as 0-2 hours a week and this
may be mostly last-minute test
preparation
• Succeeding in College Classes
– Treat your student status like a fulltime job, devoting about 40 hours
per week on study, homework and
class.
• Going to H.S. School
– You are expected to read short
assignments that are then
discussed and often re-taught in
class.
• Succeeding in College Classes
– You are assigned substantial
amounts of reading and writing
which may not be directly
addressed in class. You are
expected to complete and
comprehend readings on your
own.
Differences Between High School and College
•
High School Teachers
•
– Teachers check your completed
homework.
•
College Professors
– Teachers ask if you need help and are
available before and after school.
•
– Professors may not check completed
homework; but they will assume you
can perform the same tasks on tests.
•
High School Teachers
– Teachers remind you of your incomplete
work, assignments, and information
when you were absent.
•
College Professors
– Professors expect you to read the
course syllabus, which spells out exactly
what is expected of you, when it is due,
and how you will be graded. Professors
expect you to get from classmates any
notes from classes you missed and may
not remind you of incomplete work.
High School Teachers
College Professors
– Professors are usually open and helpful;
however, they expect you to initiate the
contact if you need help. Professors
have scheduled office hours.
•
High School Teachers
– Teacher present material to help you
understand the material in the
textbook.
•
College Professors
– Professors may lecture nonstop,
expecting you to identify the most
important points in your notes.
Professors may not follow the textbook.
They expect you to relate the class to
textbook readings. Professors expect
you to synthesize the material.
Differences Between High School and College
• Grades/Tests in High School
– Testing is frequent and covers small
amounts of the material.
• Grades/Tests in College
– Testing is infrequent and may cover
large amounts of material. A
course may only have 2 or 3 tests
in a semester. The first exam may
be a “wake-up” call of what is
expected.
• Grades/Tests in High School
– Extra credit projects are often
available to help raise a grade.
• Grades/Tests in College
– Professors usually do not provide
extra credit.
• Grades/Tests in High School
– Good homework grades may raise
overall grade when test scores are
low.
• Grades/Tests in College
– Grades may not be provided for all
assigned work. Grades on tests and
major papers usually provide most
of the course grade.