Navigate college life

Adapting to a new environment can be both challenging and rewarding. Read on to understand the differences between high school and college.  

Many students are in class or on campus for 8 to 10 hours a day during high school. In college, however, full-time students may spend anywhere from 12 to 20 hours a week in class, only taking four to six courses at a time.  

Most of your work in college is done outside of a classroom. This independent work is often a mix of practice, problem sets, and reading. It depends on your major and classes. On average, students study and work on assignments for about three hours outside of class per each hour that they spend in class.  

You get to decide when you work best: morning, between class, evenings, or weekends. But it requires self-discipline and a schedule. Like many students, you may use your extra time to work, join clubs, or attend campus events. 

Almost all classes in college will have less graded work than high school. You’ll need to work on many assignments over time. You’ll incorporate concepts and knowledge from a longer period than you would for high school assignments. And attendance and participation count for a smaller percentage of grades in most college classrooms.  

There are benefits to this approach. Most students will have longer to work on mastering concepts or perfecting papers than they might in high school. Use your professors’ office hours to work through challenging concepts. You can improve your writing assignments by working with your college peers, too. 

Professors will assign reading and work that they may not cover in class. You’ll need to prepare outside of class and stay up to date for your next class.  

Good grades are based on your ability to apply what you've learned to new situations or to solve new kinds of problems. You must do well consistently. Grades on tests and papers usually count for most of your grade in the class. 

College campuses tend to be more diverse than high school campuses in many ways. Professors and students from different states and countries often work and study together. Students of different ages may study in the same department and even the same class. This diverse community of learners provides a great opportunity for growth and learning on campus. 

Every high school and college experience is different, but college requires some changes to routines and new skill-building for almost every student. Take advantage of this opportunity in college to meet new people and grow both personally and academically. 

We’ve highlighted the academic differences between high school and college. But what about differences in how you should behave? Your time in K-12 has given you glimpses of adulthood that you’ll continue to grow into in college.  

What are your biggest fears about starting college? It’s very likely that many—f not all— students share some of those same fears. The good news? There’s always a solution to common challenges students face when starting college. 

Take a moment to look through suggestions from campus pros about overcoming first-semester obstacles. 

Download a campus map to your phone or ask someone for directions. If you live off campus, learn the best transportation routes to school—you may even get a free or discounted bus ride if your campus has an integrated public transit system.  

Most college requirements and general information will be on your school’s website. Knowing where to find that information can be a challenge.  

• Get used to searching for new topics.  
• Create bookmarks for important sites you’ll visit often.  
• Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask if you can’t find what you are looking for. Send an email to your professor, academic advisor, or an appropriate campus office. 

Intro classes may be large—up to a few hundred students. Arrive early, sit near the front, and try to avoid distractions. It will be a different experience than class sizes you’re used to, but you’ll get the hang of it before you know it. 

Read your syllabus.  Then add important information like assignment deadlines or test dates to your phone or a planner. 

Wait. What’s a syllabus? It’s an outline of the subjects you’ll learn in the course. Your instructor maps out readings, due dates, exam dates, and other important information about class policies, office hours, and more. This tool offers you a chance to get and stay organized in each class.  When in doubt about any of these topics, check the syllabus first before emailing your professor. 

After looking over the syllabus and attending class on the first day, what do you do if you’re not interested in the class anymore? Talk to your academic advisor immediately. Your advisor can help you drop (remove) a class from your schedule and add a new one, if possible. Every school will have different requirements but making these changes early is a good idea so they are less likely to impact your financial aid. 

Your first day of online class will depend on your class format. Some online classes have scheduled meeting times with professors. Other classes allow students to view videos and resources on their own time. 

Check your technology before your scheduled class time if you are attending an online class during a specified time. Make sure that you know how to access the learning platform, that your speaker and mic are working, and that your device is charged. If you run into any issues, contact your school’s help desk for IT support. Log in a few minutes before class begins so you’re ready to get started when the professor arrives. If you still have technical issues, send the professor an email immediately after class to find out ways to make up the class or access any materials. 

Block as many distractions as possible. Much like in high school, class time is time to focus on learning. Some students find that wearing headphones with a mic helps to keep focus. You may even consider putting your phone on Do Not Disturb mode while in class so you aren’t tempted to look at it. 

Professors will treat you like an adult. They expect you to arrive prepared and on time to class. You are responsible for remembering when assignments are due, how to access class materials, and asking questions. In college, you will be in charge of your own success—take it seriously, but know your professor is there to help!