2 answers
Updated
817 views
What is college like compared to high school?
I feel like college will be so much better then high school, both time wise and social wise. However I feel like I am getting my hopes too high about what I think college will be. #high-school-students #college-bound #college
Login to comment
2 answers
Updated
Alyssa M.’s Answer
Hi Aradhana,
First of all, I think it's great that you're thinking ahead to college (good for you!). As for your question, each student will have a different experience in college (mainly because each university is so different), so describing the difference between college and high school can be a little difficult. I hope that describing some of my college experiences will give you a better idea of what to possibly expect...
1. Freedom/Flexibility: In high school, you probably didn’t have much freedom to choose when to start your first class or when to end your day. In college though, it’s up to you to create your own schedule, choose the classes you want, and determine how much (or how little) you want to study. I absolutely loved having all this freedom! However, I quickly learned that with freedom comes responsibility.
There were times when I focused too much on my social life and it caused me to fall behind in my class reading. This was never fun and oftentimes resulted in stressful all-nighters in the library the day before an exam (please don’t do this!). Just remember that college is all about trade-off’s; the more time you spend one your social life or working, the less you can spend studying (or doing other things).
2. Social: In my opinion, THIS IS THE BEST PART OF COLLEGE! Before leaving to college, I was a shy girl. One of my biggest fears was not being able to make friends. When I finally got to campus, I realized I had nothing to worry about.
There are literally so many different ways to meet people (i.e. in class, club meetings, networking events, dorms, jobs). Now, this may sound similar to your high school experience but I can assure you that it will be completely different. Just the fact that you’re living with other students makes the social aspect of college much different. You’ll come across people from different backgrounds and learn so much about them and the world. My best advice for navigating the social aspect of college is to keep an open mind. It might be a little awkward at first not knowing many people (or anyone), but just remember that everyone is experiencing the "awkward" feeling. Also, don’t be afraid to try new things! I once took a scuba diving class in college (yes, this is actually a thing) and soon realized that I shouldn’t be anywhere near the water…but at least I tried!
Overall, college was so much better than high school for me. I loved being around people my age who were eager to learn and succeed, and who were open to meeting new friends. Being a student on a college campus is an exciting place to be and you’ll learn so much about who you truly are.
First of all, I think it's great that you're thinking ahead to college (good for you!). As for your question, each student will have a different experience in college (mainly because each university is so different), so describing the difference between college and high school can be a little difficult. I hope that describing some of my college experiences will give you a better idea of what to possibly expect...
1. Freedom/Flexibility: In high school, you probably didn’t have much freedom to choose when to start your first class or when to end your day. In college though, it’s up to you to create your own schedule, choose the classes you want, and determine how much (or how little) you want to study. I absolutely loved having all this freedom! However, I quickly learned that with freedom comes responsibility.
There were times when I focused too much on my social life and it caused me to fall behind in my class reading. This was never fun and oftentimes resulted in stressful all-nighters in the library the day before an exam (please don’t do this!). Just remember that college is all about trade-off’s; the more time you spend one your social life or working, the less you can spend studying (or doing other things).
2. Social: In my opinion, THIS IS THE BEST PART OF COLLEGE! Before leaving to college, I was a shy girl. One of my biggest fears was not being able to make friends. When I finally got to campus, I realized I had nothing to worry about.
There are literally so many different ways to meet people (i.e. in class, club meetings, networking events, dorms, jobs). Now, this may sound similar to your high school experience but I can assure you that it will be completely different. Just the fact that you’re living with other students makes the social aspect of college much different. You’ll come across people from different backgrounds and learn so much about them and the world. My best advice for navigating the social aspect of college is to keep an open mind. It might be a little awkward at first not knowing many people (or anyone), but just remember that everyone is experiencing the "awkward" feeling. Also, don’t be afraid to try new things! I once took a scuba diving class in college (yes, this is actually a thing) and soon realized that I shouldn’t be anywhere near the water…but at least I tried!
Overall, college was so much better than high school for me. I loved being around people my age who were eager to learn and succeed, and who were open to meeting new friends. Being a student on a college campus is an exciting place to be and you’ll learn so much about who you truly are.
Updated
Nicole’s Answer
Hi Aradhana K. I see that you posted this question a little while ago so I hope my answer to you (or others who may read this response) is still helpful.
I agree with a lot of what was provided in the previous answer. To add a bit, there is a lot about being in college, when compared to being in high school where you get to build on your own independence. My experience with the difference between high school and college had a lot to do with how little the professors and/or their teaching assistants stressed on class attendance and participation (which I recall these things being a big deal in high school for good reason). For me, there was a much bigger expectation on making your own decisions on where you need to be, what you need to be doing and for how long all with the expectation that your goals in college are to graduate with the best grades you can and to make the best of your college journey.
Hope you find this answer helpful and best of luck to you!
I agree with a lot of what was provided in the previous answer. To add a bit, there is a lot about being in college, when compared to being in high school where you get to build on your own independence. My experience with the difference between high school and college had a lot to do with how little the professors and/or their teaching assistants stressed on class attendance and participation (which I recall these things being a big deal in high school for good reason). For me, there was a much bigger expectation on making your own decisions on where you need to be, what you need to be doing and for how long all with the expectation that your goals in college are to graduate with the best grades you can and to make the best of your college journey.
Hope you find this answer helpful and best of luck to you!