high school vs college Essay Examples

High School Vs College Essay Example

College vs High School, what’s the big taboo? Are you still looking for differences? Yes, of course, there are two different levels of study here and a more individual learning-based approach for college students, yet surprisingly there are many similarities too. Search real hard and you’ll find a whole world of difference and plenty in common between those two. The strongest similarity between these institutions still stands tall – they’re both places to learn. You’re normally of a certain age, when you first go to college (usually around 18), and apparently, you’re supposed to be a mature person at this point, a young adult if you will, but whoever said that this age constitutes some sort of magical biological change into adulthood? The reality is that both high school and college students may just be two sides of the same post-adolescent coin, with not much of a difference in maturity between them. The only distinction may be that there is more freedom during college so you’re free to party, whereas in school you’re bound by a strict schedule every day. However, this view is too pessimistic considering that many college students may indeed have matured by the time they enroll for the first time. After all, doing well in your grades counts for a certain mature attitude, doesn't it? The kind of person that enrolls in college may be a mature individual, having had to study hard to get into college in the first place. So what about the format of college itself? It’s true to say that one of the main differences between high school and college is the structure of learning itself. In high school, the teachers are on your back all the time, whereas at a college you’re expected to make your own way and pave your own path. If you miss a homework assignment at school, perhaps, your teachers will shout at you during a lesson, whereas your laziness is not a college professor’s problem and they wouldn’t dare to tell you off at any time in front of your peers. There exists a stark difference in discipline – is what a teacher has to do but for a college professor, it’s none of their business. The structure of the learning environment is a lot freer at college: students need to learn to turn up to their lectures, try and attend as best they can, whereas high school kids need to visit their lessons and there’s no choice in the matter. Some people who start out at college may feel the freedom and use it to their disadvantage, often skipping classes and lectures at their own loss. In school, there’s more of a structure to the day and attendance is mandatory. If you’re at college you could also be expected to fund your education yourself, so often people will take part-time jobs in their free time, whereas school is usually funded for by the state or by parents. Every college course is different, but why are there fewer subjects to learn? College course is, obviously, more intense and requires a higher degree of sustained effort, that’s why there may be a lot of free time. It’s free time but free to help you study. People may come to college thinking it will be a walk in the park whereas, in reality, there’s a whole lot of studying to do at a much more difficult level. The learning structure between college and school is certainly different as well as the type of learning that students engage in. In school, subjects are often focused on memorizing things in order to be tested on them whereas college learning is a bit more free and abstract, you’ll find there will be a whole lot more free interpretation on the cards. Take mathematics, for example, you may be learning new forms of equations in college that may not even feature numbers altogether. A college is a place for personal progress and learning by discussion. You’ll often find a lot of tuition groups formed to learn by conference, and professors will value a college student’s opinion more than a high school teacher. In high school, learning is more rigorous as there isn’t enough time to engage in discussion-based learning, often as children are less mature, so this is a key difference. However, it really depends on the subject at hand, for instance, if you’re doing a college course on statistics there will be less discussion. Consider how many subjects high school teachers have to explain. Of course, some will only exercise a certain specialty, but often your high school chemistry teacher will most likely be teaching other branches of science, and your mathematics' teacher may also be able to step in to help too. High school teachers develop a broader range and so aren’t as experienced in their subject as a professor is who dedicates their entire career to their subject of choice, so they’ll be a lot more knowledgeable than a teacher. College is a great time to make the most of this opportunity and to ask as many questions as possible! High school children don’t fund their own education, whereas college students may do so, therefore, who is most interested in their education outcome? High school teachers will coordinate their learning with parents in mind. At college, tuition may be of concern to college student’s parents but, ultimately, it is down to the college student themselves and so they should be the ones most interested in their learning outcome. College expects scholars to be self-motivated, whereas high school may expect pupils to lack motivation, and build it with teacher’s and parent’s cooperation. If you’re thinking of attending college, you needn’t be put off by these differences. The fact remains that college is a place to have a great time, feel free and study hard. You’ll be bound to make a lot of new friends and broaden your horizons in the process. It won’t be a walk in the park, but it will certainly be a walk worth taking. As you expand your mind and learn a lot of new things from qualified and respected professors, you’ll find yourself yearning to study more and more, craving that sweet education. Most of our lives will be spent working, so college makes for a great break and transition period from work to be enjoyed while it can. The old cliché “stay in school” never dies.