THE ACADEMIC ADJUSTMENT FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO COLLEGE By Vicki Nelson
In high school, students have little control over their schedule and both teachers and parents help them stay on track. In college, students are expected to keep track of their own work and progress. Students who are ready to advocate for themselves and take advantage of the support available are students who succeed. You can support your first-year student by talking with them about how their college academic experiences will differ from high school in three major areas.
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Instead of regular quizzes and chapter tests, there may only be two or three big tests or projects.
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The professor may or may not consider attendance, attitude and effort when calculating your student’s final grade.
1. Classes and assignments •
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Students might not be tested on reading assignments given at the start of the semester until late in the semester or even on the final exam.
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Professors may not remind students of upcoming assignments or exams and may spend little or no time reviewing material. Students are expected to manage their own progress by following the syllabus, and in general the pace of classes is faster.
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Lectures may not directly follow the textbook, but students are still responsible for material covered in the book as well as in class.
College assignments often emphasize theory and the application of concepts over learning facts.
2. Expectations outside of the classroom
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Free time: Most high school students spend 6–7 hours a day in class, five days a week. College students may spend as little as 12– 15 hours per week in the classroom. Those extra 20+ “free” hours per week mean that students are free to schedule their study time as they wish, not that they don’t have anything to do during that time.
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Doing the work: Students are expected to do most of their coursework outside of class. They can expect to spend an average of two hours outside of the classroom for every hour spent in the classroom. In other words,
