Arnell Hoffman
A building surrounded by forest on the campus of the University of California, Santa Cruz
Many students at this school will soon graduate and begin attending college, and the difference between high school and college may be greater than they expect it to be. Some major differences include the workload, campus, tests, grading, and responsibilities.
In college, students are now adults and responsible for themselves, especially students who live on campus. Students cannot rely on their parents or teachers to create their schedule or correct their behavior. In college, a student creates their own schedule, it is not made by a counselor like in high school.
According to the Education Data Initiative, first time undergraduates have a 23.3% chance of dropping out in their first 12 months at college. Additionally, students who live on campus will have to do their own chores like laundry and cooking. Dorming in college is also very expensive, with costs ranging from around 15,000 to 24,000 dollars a year to dorm at UCLA. According to Victoria Hoffman, a UCSC graduate, “It is important to pick a good roommate, because you are going to be stuck with them for a while”.
The class size and teaching style in college are significantly different than high school. Many college courses take place in lecture halls, while high school classes take place in classrooms. In high school, there is usually one teacher for every 30 or so students. In college, there can be one professor for every 100 or more students. College courses are usually taught differently than high school classes. During college lectures, students are expected to take structured notes, and the professor will not be able to attend to every student like a high school teacher can.
In college, age varies wildly compared to high school. High school is mostly comprised of students aged 14 to 18. However, the college demographic is not only students in their early 20s, but also people returning to college to complete their degrees.
The workload for college courses is usually substantially larger in comparison to high school classes. According to CollegeData, 33% of surveyed students felt that they were least prepared for the academic transition going into college. Studying is way more important in college than in high school. For many high level college courses, multiple hours of studying a week is almost a necessity, especially to receive a good grade in the class.
College campuses are usually significantly larger than high school campuses. While a high school may have a few hundred students, a college may have a few thousand.
Tests are usually less frequent but more important in college. In high school, tests usually occur after units and usually only cover small amounts of material learned throughout the class. In college, tests happen occasionally and cover large amounts of learned material.
College is very important, and it is better to be informed than to go to college and be overwhelmed and confused.