High School to College Comparison

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High School to College Comparison

Going to High School Classes	Succeeding in College Classes
The school year is 36 weeks long and some classes extend over both semesters.	The academic year is divided into two separate 15-week semesters, plus a week after each semester for exams.
Classes generally have no more than 35 students.	Classes at large universities may number 100 students or more.
You may study outside class as little as 0-2 hours a week, and this may be mostly last-minute test preparation.	The recommendation is to study at least 2-3 hours outside of class for each hour in class.
You seldom need to read anything more than once, and sometimes listening in class is enough.	You need to review class notes and text material regularly.
You are expected to read short assignments that are then discussed, and often re-taught, in class.	You are assigned substantial amounts of reading and writing which may not be directly addressed in class.
Bottom Line: Students are usually told in class what they need to learn from assigned readings.	Bottom Line: It's up to you to read and understand the assigned material.

High School Teachers	College Professors
Teachers check your completed homework.	Professors may not always check completed homework, but they will assume you can perform the same tasks on tests.
Teachers remind you if they believe you need assistance.	Professors usually won't remind you of incomplete work.
Teachers approach you if they believe you need assistance.	Professors are usually open and helpful, but most expect you to initiate contact if you need assistance.
Teachers are often available for conversation before, during, or after class.	Professors expect and want you to attend their scheduled office hours.
Teachers have been trained in teaching methods to assist in imparting knowledge to students.	Professors have been trained as experts in their particular areas of research.
Teachers provide you with information you missed when you were absent.	Professors expect you to get from classmates any notes from classes you missed.
Teachers present material to help you understand the material in the textbook.	Professors may not follow the textbook. Instead, to amplify the text, they may give illustrations, provide background information, or discuss research about the topic you are studying. Or they may expect you to relate the classes to the textbook readings.
Teachers often write information on the board to be copied in your notes.	Professors may lecture nonstop, expecting you to identify the important points in your notes. When professors write on the board, it may be to amplify the lecture, not to summarize it. Good notes are a must.
Teachers impart knowledge and facts, sometimes drawing direct connections and leading you through the thinking process.	Professors expect you to think about and synthesize seemingly unrelated topics. They treat you as an adult learner.
Teachers often take time to remind you of assignments and due dates.	Professors expect you to read, save, and consult the course syllabus; the syllabus spells out exactly what is expected of you, when it is due, and how you will be graded.
Teachers carefully monitor class attendance.	Professors usually won't take roll but expect you to be in class.
Bottom Line: High school is a teaching environment in which you acquire facts and skills.	Bottom Line: College is a learning environment in which you take responsibility for thinking through and applying what you have learned.

Following the Rules in High School	Choosing Responsibly in College
High school is mandatory and usually free.	College is voluntary and expensive.
Your time is structured by others.	You manage your own time.
You need permission to participate in extracurricular activities.	It's your choice now.
Parents and teachers tend to remind you of your assignments and to guide you in setting priorities.	It's now time to keep track of your own life. You will face moral and ethical decisions you have never faced before.
You are not responsible for knowing what it takes to graduate.	Graduation requirements are complex, and differ from year to year. You are expected to know what applies to you.
Most of your classes are arranged for you.	You arrange your own schedule in consultation with your adviser. Schedules tend to look lighter than they really are.
Each day you proceed from one class directly to another, spending 6 hours each day--30 hours a week--in class.	You often have hours between classes; class times vary throughout the day and evening. You spend only 12-16 hours each week in class.
Bottom Line: Parents and teachers usually tell you what to do and correct you if your behavior is out of line.	Bottom Line: You take responsibility for what you do and don't do, as well as for the consequences of your decisions.

Tests in High School	Tests in College
Testing is frequent and covers small amounts of material.	Testing is infrequent and may cover large amounts of material. You, not the professor, need to organize the material to prepare for the test. A particular course may have only 2 or 3 tests in a semester.
Makeup tests are often available.	Makeup tests are seldom an option. If they are, you need to request them.
Teachers frequently rearrange test dates to avoid conflict with school events.	Professors usually schedule tests without regard to the demands of other courses or outside activities.
Teachers frequently conduct review sessions, pointing out the most important concepts.	Professors rarely offer review sessions except for final exams.
Bottom Line: Mastery is usually seen as the ability to reproduce what you were taught in the form in which it was presented to you, or to solve the kinds of problems you were shown how to solve.	Bottom Line: Mastery is often seen as the ability to apply what you've learned to new situations or to solve new kinds of problems.

Grades in High School	Grades in College
Grades are given for most assigned work.	Grades may not be provided for all assigned work.
Consistently good homework grades may raise your overall grade when test grades are low.	Grades on tests and major papers usually provide most of the course grade.
Extra credit projects are often available to help you raise your grade.	Extra credit projects cannot, generally speaking, be used to raise a grade in a college course.
Initial test grades, especially when they are low, may not have an adverse effect on your final grade.	Watch out for your first tests. These are usually "wake-up calls" to let you know what is expected--but they also may account for a substantial part of your course grade. You may be shocked when you get your grades.
You may graduate as long as you have passed all required courses with a grade of D or higher.	You may graduate only if your average in classes meets the departmental standard--typically a 2.0 or C.
Bottom Line: Effort counts. Courses are usually structured to reward a "good-faith effort."	Bottom Line: Results count. Though "good-faith effort" is important in regard to the professor's willingness to help you achieve good results, it will not substitute for results in the grading process.

Degrees of Achievement

The number of college degrees
expected to be awarded during
the 2009-10 school year:

Associates            741,000
Bachelors          1,634,000
Masters                  659,000
Professional           94,400
Doctorate                 60,800

Source: National Center for
Educational Statistics

Ministry to Students
Michael J. Bozack, Ph.D.
Department of Physics
Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849

Dropping Your College

Homesickness, roommate
conflicts, academic
pressures, difficulty forming
new friendships -- any of
these can cause college
freshmen to leap to the
conclusion that they've made
a bad college decision and
should transfer. Resist this
temptation; it is common for
many new college students,
particularly on large
campuses.

See USA Today, Nov 12, 09,
p. 7D for a useful discussion
of the problems and
remedies.

USA Losing Ground

In South Korea, 93% of all
students graduate from high
school on time, compared to
the USA, where one-quarter
of all students -- more than
1.2 million individuals each
year -- fail to graduate.

Once the world leader in
secondary-school education,
the US now ranks an
embarrassing 18th among
36 nations.

Source: Organization for
Economic Co-operation and
Development

Getting Away With Poor
Preparation

Nearly one in five college
seniors and 25% of
freshman say they frequently
come to class without
completing readings or
assignments, a national
survey shows.

Students report spending
about 3.5 hours a week
preparing for each class.
That's about half what
instructors expect from a
typical student.

Source: National Survey of
Student Engagement, 2009.

The Value of Community
Colleges

Community colleges educate
roughly HALF of all students.

Over the next decade, at least
57% of all job openings will
require postsecondary
education but not necessarily
a four-year degree. Some of
the highest-demand workers
get their job training at
community colleges, including
half of new nurses.

While many private, four-year
colleges are seeing dips in
applicaitons, junior college
enrollments last fall rose by
8-10%.

Source: USA Today, Dec 29,
08, p. 10A.