The Transition from High School to College

The transition from high school to college reflects a major lifestyle change as well as a symbolic passage into the responsibilities of adulthood.  No longer is your educational direction dictated by others or mandated by law. No longer will your teacher kindly remind you that you neglected to turn in homework assignment #4.

The transition to college from high school brings with it numerous opportunities disguised as challenges, and persevering when faced with these challenges will open the door to the abundance of opportunities afforded by a college education.

You have probably followed essentially the same routine from kindergarten through graduating high school — arriving early in the morning, attending class throughout the day and being dismissed in the afternoon. College classes, on the contrary, are often two to three days per week, for varying lengths of time, beginning at practically any time of the day.

With the guidance of an advisor, you will be responsible for dictating which classes you take and when, and managing your schedule throughout your college career. While at first glance your college schedule may appear less grueling than in high school, be aware that college demands much more time out of class which you must manage effectively and consistently in order to succeed.

The transition from high school to college reflects a major lifestyle change as well as a symbolic passage into the responsibilities of adulthood. No longer is your educational direction dictated by others or mandated by law. No longer will your teacher kindly remind you that you neglected to turn in homework assignment #4. The transition to college from high school brings with it numerous opportunities disguised as challenges, and persevering when faced with these challenges will open the door to the abundance of opportunities afforded by a college education.

You have probably followed essentially the same routine from kindergarten through graduating high school — arriving early in the morning, attending class throughout the day and being dismissed in the afternoon. College classes, on the contrary, are often two to three days per week, for varying lengths of time, beginning at practically any time of the day. With the guidance of an advisor, you will be responsible for dictating which classes you take and when, and managing your schedule throughout your college career. While at first glance your college schedule may appear less grueling than in high school, be aware that college demands much more time out of class which you must manage effectively and consistently in order to succeed.

College will also vary greatly from high school in the classroom as well. While high schools typically adhere to uniform attendance policies, you will find that each college professor may have a different policy regarding attendance. Good class attendance in college is important because you have to comply with policies, but its advantages are far greater. Attending each class meeting will help you stay abreast of important dates and test material that are critical to academic success.

While high school made it easy to make up a missed test after an absence, the same is not true in college. College professors expect you to take deadlines seriously and respect the guidelines set forth by the course. Additionally, you are responsible for taking detailed notes as the professor lectures and keeping up with required reading and assignments outside of class. Test material is often taken from a combination of textbook material, lecture material and skills acquired through projects and assignments.

Often, high school grades are calculated based on a combination of tests, projects, homework and other assignments. A high school student performing poorly on tests may manage to pass a class by completing all other assignments. Although you may receive credit for assignments in college, tests usually account for a majority of the weight of your grade. Professors expect you to fully grasp the concepts taught by the course, and demonstrate your understanding through performance on tests.

Some class grades are calculated strictly from tests, and some even rely solely on a midterm and a final. If you have historically scraped by with lackadaisical study habits, now is the time to change them. College tests usually cover a lot of material, and procrastinating until the night before to study will only set you up for a rude awakening.

Succeeding in college takes dedication, organization and perseverance. You must maintain focus on short term goals such as preparing for next week’s test, while steadily working toward longer term goals such as fulfilling the requirements of your degree and building a career in your field. College requires you to set your own goals and then do what it takes to achieve them.

About the Author

Evelyn Saunders, a retired teacher, is the editor for student-loans.net, a provider of private student loans and information on student loans and consolidation.  For more information, please visit http://www.student-loans.net Evelyn Saunders may be contacted at http://www.student-loans.net orstudentloans.net@gmail.com

 

Image Credit: It’s My Life

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