High School versus College

As with all generalizations, not all of those below will apply to your specific educational experience. However, overall, college is a giant step away from high school for many students. If your high school prepared you well for this transition, then write a thank you note to those teachers. If not, then be prepared for some necessary changes.

College is a LEARNING ENVIRONMENT in which you take responsibility for thinking through and applying what you have learned.

HIGH SCHOOL STANDARDS COLLEGE STANDARDS
Teacher and texbook-centered Student, project, and source-centered.
Your time is structured by others You manage your own time
You will usually be told what to do You take responsibility for what you do and don't do
You may study little outside class You need to study at least 2 to 3 hours outside of class for each hour in class
Teachers approach you if you need assistance Professors expect you to initiate contact if you need assistance
Teachers provide you with information you missed when you were absent Professors expect you to get from classmates any notes from classes you missed
Knowledge is highly structured and linear Open-ended inquiry predominates; professors may not follow the textbook;"fuzzy questions" abound
Memorize & regurgitate Think creatively & critically
Teachers impart knowledge and facts to be repeated. Lowest levels on Bloom's taxonomy--remembering, understanding Professors expect you to think about and synthesize seemingly unrelated topics. Highest levels of Bloom's taxonomy--creating, evaluating, analyzing
Makeup tests and assignments are often available Makeups are seldom an option; if they are, you need to request them
Teachers conduct review sessions that mimic the actual test Professors may offer review sessions, but they are based on student questions.
Mastery is the ability to reproduce what you were taught Mastery is the ability to apply what you've learned to new situations or to solve new kinds of problems
"Effort counts" "Results count"

Additional Links

  • High School Versus College Life A Freshman Year Guide to Different Student Academic Expectations by Naomi Rockler-Gladen
  • Writing in College by Joseph M. Williams and Lawrence McEnerney. Some crucial differences between high school and college writing
  • High School versus College from Pierce College, Woodland Hills, California
  • Study Guides and Strategies by Joseph F Landsberger

    Other Points to Ponder

    1. Think of yourself as a scholar
    2. Inquire about extra credit projects
    3. Accept and apply constructive criticism
    4. Being a student is a full-time job
    5. Work on improving communication skills: No matter what your major or discipline of interest, the single most important skill for life success is clear written and oral communication.
    6. Be Patient With Yourself: You will make errors or mistakes during your collegiate career. Please be assured that you are not DOOMED. When you realize, or even think, you have goofed, set out to correct it
    7. Learn To Communicate In The Classroom: There are no dumb questions concerning subject matter
    8. Safeguard Your Physical And Mental Well-Being (see Coping with College page)
    9. Write and Call Home, ET: It may sound silly but parents and family can often provide the best support service [and they might send money!!]