The Differences Between College and High School

By: Abigail McCoy

One of the biggest adjustments of your life comes when you must make the transition from high school to college. I come from a small town in Southern Ohio, and I could not wait to leave. In high school, I was very shy and focused on building a resume for college. Now that I am one semester in to my college career, I have begun to realize just how different college and high school really are. Besides having more freedom, there are other differences that I did not expect. I am so glad I made the choice I did.

1. No one is making you go to class (or go to bed).

I always feel bad for missing class, because I am paying to go to class, and everything I do in college could have financial ramifications. However, there are some reasons that could keep one from attending class because of poor time management. Several of my friends have missed class in order to study for an exam later in the day. I have also had important meetings come up during class times, which I have had to miss class for. Many professors prefer that if a student must miss class, they email the professor and let them know that they won’t be in class that day. However, many intro-level courses are very large, and it is impossible for the professor to take attendance. Other classes, like most of mine, have participation points built into the grade, and class attendance is mandatory unless the student communicates with the professor. It is always important to attend class, because most of the time the professor will talk about what is covered on the next exam in class, or cover material not in the slides or textbook.

2. No matter what time your first class is, it will ALWAYS be hard to wake up for it.

I assumed that I was being smart in choosing a class that started at 9:30 am, because I had had to wake up for high school at 6:30 am. However, a 9:30 am class is hard to wake up for when the night before was spent writing an essay until 2 am. This can be avoided by proper time management, but not all the time. The most important concern to keep in mind when choosing classes is what your schedule is and what times work best for you. The most important lesson learned in college is that you can finally control your life, and how to do that in the best way possible.

3. College relationships are much different from high school.

A major difference between high school and college is that, unless you went to a boarding school, you live with your friends. This means that relationships can evolve faster than in high school. You are also able to control how much time you spend with individuals because you don’t have to spend every day in the same building with them. I have been able to connect with my friends at college faster and at a deeper level than my friends in high school, because I am able to spend more time with them and they are more similar to me, and share the same drive for knowledge that I wasn’t able to find at my high school.

4. You must manage your time wisely.

As I mentioned earlier, time management is very important in college. You must be able to assess which task will take the most time, or is the most important, and allocate a sufficient amount of time to each task. Time also has to be found for socializing, sleeping, and personal hygiene, which many students tend to forget about, especially during finals week. Keeping all of these in check is very hard to do, and I am still learning how to do it successfully. Two common mistakes students make are either spending too much time on academics, or too much time on socializing. Remember, you are at college to learn, however, you may not remember the grades you make in your freshman classes, but you will remember the nights you spent with friends who care about you.

5. It takes time to find your niche in college.

Don’t expect to find your best friend on the first day of college. When you first arrive, everyone is scared and nervous and (most likely) don’t know anyone else. Take time, sit with random people in the dining hall, get to know your floormates and ask the general questions that everyone asks in the first few weeks, like what your name, major, is and where you are from. My friends in high school had also been my friends in elementary and middle school, so I had almost forgotten how to make friends. However, the most important thing to remember is that all of the people in your class are experiencing the same things, and they need support as much as you do.