Addison
How will I do in college?
I am a high school student who will be attending college in the fall of 2025 and I am very curious about how college differs from high school. I know the basics like I won't have 7 hour school days 5 days a week anymore but how is the workload compared to high school? I am also curious about how difficult it is to get into grad school and if that is much different than undergrad school. I plan on majoring in linguistics and want to go into an SLP masters program but don't know how difficult it is to do that. I am also curious about how difficult it is to get private student loans. Going to an out of state school will cost me a lot of money and federal student loans will not cover the amount it will cost me to go to college so I am curious about the difficulty of being approved for private student loans.
1 answer
Monica Barrett
Monica’s Answer
College is an upgrade from high school! You can expect to enjoy more autonomy in deciding how you spend your time. This can be both challenging and very freeing. Your college professors will also expect you to have more autonomy. You will need to read your course syllabus. Exams and assignments may be mentioned in class, but it's expected that you will be informed about expectations via the syllabus. You will be expected to turn work in on time and there will be less negotiation. When my own daughters were in high school over the last four years, I noticed that there seemed to be a lot of opportunities to improve grades by doing test corrections, resubmitting work after it's been graded, etc. Don't expect this flexibility in college. Professors will be unlikely to change grades after they are issued. It's very important to understand the rubric of how you are being graded so that you can be sure you are covering all expectations in your assignments. Many college professors offer office hours so that you can get extra guidance. Plan to attend office hours to get questions answered.
Depending on your coursework, the workload may be heavier than high school, but it will also be more concentrated on just the classes you are taking. Be prepared to balance your social life with your academic responsibilities. Try to set up good habits freshman year and stick to them. Make friends that are serious about college as a building block for your future. Take part in the social life, but prioritize your academics. Graduate school applications are different in that you will be focused more on specific programs with fewer applicants, but the process varies depending on the field. Usually you will need to take a standardized test focused on the type of graduate school you want to attend (GRE, MCAT, etc). Many colleges will have advisors who can help you plan out your time in that college as well as align your academics to be ready for the next phase whether that is a PHD or masters program.
Usually when you apply for financial aid at the schools you are thinking of attending, they may offer a package of grants and/or loans which can be both based on need and merit. It is very important to consider the school that is not only the right academic fit but also the right financial fit. Loans can be a heavy burden in a young professional's life, so my advice is to do what you can to minimize the number of loans you take out to go to school, even if this means going to a different school that provides more financial assistance. Also consider the number of years it will take to pay the loans back and the amount of interest you will be paying on those loans.
Congratulations on your upcoming graduation and best of luck!