College 4 Realz.......Highschool Vs. College

As most of you might figure, college is vastly different than highschool. In addition to possible lifestyle changes such as moving away from home, maybe even to another state or country, and living on your own or with a stranger, there are some other major differences.

Classes

In high school, students don’t have much choice in their subjects, and they are really general and not as exciting as college classes. College classes, on the other hand, vary immensely depending on the teacher and which class you are taking. Some are harder, some are easier; it all depends on the subject and the type/amount of work the teacher assigns. The best thing about college classes is that most of them are subjects you want to take. Since you (hopefully) chose a major you are interested in and love, the classes you are required to take will be about subjects which interest you. Of course, there will be boring classes, like general education classes, but there will be a lot of classes you will be excited to take. For me, I get to take all these equestrian classes, like “Horse Health and First Aid” and “Stable Management” that I am super excited to learn about.

Schedule
 

As a homeschooler, I was very involved in putting together my course schedule. I have no idea how public highschoolers get their schedule for the semester, just warning y’all. Anyway, in college, your course schedule for the semester basically determines how you live your life for those 4 months. Don’t want to get up for those 8ams? Then don’t schedule any 8ams. Want to have 4 classes in a row Monday morning, resulting in only one class on Tuesday? Go for it!

Do you want only 10 minutes to grab some lunch before rushing off to the next class, or having no Friday night because you have a class at 7pm? It can happen. You are responsible for making sure you get all the required classes in while maintaining a workable schedule for those classes. You can get help from your peers, teachers and especially your advisor, but the responsibility mainly rests on you. Then again, classes in college are completely optional. You are not stuck in a building from 9am to 3pm every weekday, and can chose to skip your 2pm class in favor of a nap if you want. However, if you want good grades, GO TO CLASS. Skipping on class results in missing vital information, making your teacher unhappy with you, and possibly loss of a letter grade depending on your teacher’s attendance policy. So make sure you arrange your schedule correctly in order to complete necessary classes and have a manageable day. For tips on how to schedule your semester, check out Victoria’s post, “Class Scheduling”.

Responsibility

Obviously, with great age comes great responsibility. As you get older, you become responsible for more things, such as taxes, car insurance, a job and school. As previously stated, you are responsible for scheduling your classes and going to class. You are also responsible for keeping up with assignments. During highschool, a typical student goes to class during the day, and completes homework during the evening. A college student’s day is a lot more unpredictable. You might have a class at 9am then have nothing to do until your next class at 2pm. College students must decide when to study and when to do other things like eat, sleep and be social. Over time, you will learn to master the time management balancing act.

People

This was the most dramatic change for me personally. As a homeschooler living in the middle of nowhere, there was no one around who was my age. I was then thrust into a dorm full of 100+ people and sharing a room with a stranger. There was so much interaction with new people, eating in a crowded cafeteria and taking classes with more than two people. I loved it, because there was always someone to talk to and relate with, but I also needed my alone time. During highschool, you are only with people for a certain amount of time, then go home. In college, you are always with someone, either in class, eating or with your roommate and friends. Most of the time, it’s like one giant slumber party, but sometimes it is nice to get away and relax by yourself. Since people will always be around you, and you will go through the same experiences with the same people for the next 4 years, it is important to make friends and acquaintances, and try your best not to make any enemies. Not everyone has to be your best friend, but still be open to working relationships. Dorm life is a mixture of fun and annoyance. You are living with a bunch of friends and people your age, yet when you live with people, you begin to notice annoying things people do. This can include not taking out the trash, or being super loud at night or overhearing some really strange conversations in the hallways.

Pro Tip: Learn how to use a microwave before coming to college! No one likes hearing the fire alarm late at night. The best thing you can do is to focus on positives, consider other people’s perspectives and make sure to get some alone time if needed. If you are a social butterfly, then great! You will probably love all the people! If you are not a social butterfly, that is ok too, just do whatever you need to do to make your college experience the best it can be.

Keep in mind that everyone has a different highschool and college experience. No one can guarantee any similarities or differences between the two that might happen for you personally. Looking at the bigger picture, highschool and college are just two different stages of education, like elementary school and middle school. Most of the major changes are due to that awkward transition of becoming an adult. So have fun with it! Stay true to who you are (for tips on staying you click here to read Megan's post!) and don’t worry about the changes between high school and college.

~Jennah