Differences Between High School and College
So you’re starting to think about finally leaving high school and taking on the next chapter of your life. You might be moving across the globe, the country, or the city. You don’t know what to expect, yet you have so many expectations at the same time. Trust me, I’ve been there too. If you’re anything like me, you may be worrying about everything you could possibly worry about–college academics, new friends, dorm life, food, and everything else characteristic of college life. That’s why I’m here to tell you about the most significant changes I’ve experienced transitioning from high school to college.
Academics
Classes in college are different from classes in high school in almost every way. In high school, you might go to the same classes every day, talk to your favorite teacher after school every day, and have homework from each class on a regular basis. In college, you have full discretion over your schedule. Classes usually meet on MWF or TR, and some only meet once a week. You can choose to start your school day at 8 AM or 11 AM, which is really nice if you’re not a morning person like me. As for professors, chances are, you probably won’t be super tight with the majority of your professors. That doesn’t mean you can’t develop close relationships with them; every professor holds office hours every week, during which you can drop in just to chat or discuss class content. The way classes are structured takes a while to adjust to as well. For many classes, a few exams are all that goes into calculating your grade, which roughly translates to: go to lectures, listen attentively, and actually read the textbook. As for how college GPAs are calculated, well, here you go. It’s okay, it took me a while to come to terms with it too.
Friends
You’ve probably heard of the rumor that you make new, cool college friends and ditch your old high school friends. In many cases, this may be true, but it only happens if you make it happen. Keeping in touch with friends back home gets tougher as the distance gets longer, but you learn to make the breaks you have together count. Just because you won’t be able to spend as much time with your old friends doesn’t mean those relationships suddenly vanish. Your new friends will come from all over the states and the world, and these new relationships will similarly be difficult to maintain over the summers and after college. Ultimately, it’s a matter of learning to adapt to change.
Food
Ah, food. For many of us, it’s the most important aspect of our lives. I don’t know about your high school, but the food at my high school really sucked. The pizza looked and tasted like cardboard, the chicken was dubious, and the choices were limited. By senior year, if I didn’t bring my lunch, I settled for the same, bland salad every day. If this sounds like you, fear not! College food gets so much better. At Vanderbilt, there are over 15 dining locations and 26 restaurants on the card. There’s even a vegetarian cafe! The choices are endless, and the weight gain is probable.
Anyway, if you have any qualms about transitioning to college, feel free to hit me up at lanxi.liu@vanderbilt.edu. Thanks for reading!