High School Vs. College

Dear High School Senior,

As you’re getting ready to graduate high school and thinking about college there’s a few things you should know. Graduation day is something you’ve always looked forward to since being a freshman but when it comes time you’re not quite ready to leave. The future scares you because more times than not you have no idea what you want to do with your life, and that’s completely normal. When transitioning from the ways of high school and college you could find yourself in a slump. The work and teaching methods become a lot more different when you enter college. “The Transition to College Writing” says it best. In high school you are assigned many reading assignments but more times than not you get class time to read it and review. College is completely different, you are expected to have read prior to class and be ready to discuss. If you come to class unprepared you are usually just asked to leave. They expect you to grow up and take responsibility. Also when coming to college you aren’t given half as many second chances with your professors as you could with teachers in high school. In high school your teachers often got on your back and pushed you to turn in work even if it was late, in college they don’t. When you get to college your professors do indeed care about you and your success but they won’t force anything upon you. If you don’t turn in your homework, you just won’t get a grade, if you don’t type a paper than you’ll get a 0. They don’t give you time to turn it in late. You are expected to turn your work in and if you don’t, you don’t. Since coming to college I’ve realized a few changes that you just figure out as you go. When it comes to classes, they don’t force you to come. You have to take responsibility for your learning and education. If you don’t want to learn then that’s exactly how it will go. You don’t have your mom and dad forcing you to go everyday. Also time and prioritizing everything is much harder. In high school it was just the same thing everyday. College is not like that. Between having class, and homework it will seem like you have a lot more free time because you don’t have class 7hrs a day. Although you think you have all this time, you don’t. Being a college athlete, going to class, doing homework, and getting a good amount of sleep isn’t that easy. You have to prioritize everything much more than you use to and that can sometimes be hard.  Yes high school and college are very different but college is a great experience. It takes time getting use to but you’ll catch on. This is the time to find yourself and see what it is that you want to do, make the most of it.

Sincerely,

College Student