If there is anything I have learned going to college, is that it’s very different from high school. I have to pay to go to school now, but in high school the classes were free. You appreciate school more when you feel the burn, swiping your debit card to pay for a text book. There isn’t a school supply list anymore; you just show up for class with a pen and paper. You may have to pay for two binders, but not more. In high school you have to have a binder for each class and have as much paper as it can hold. Textbooks and paper will get you far in college. Yes because you take notes, but because class work and homework are all online. I had to do everything in high school by hand. In college, doing things online help me because I can physically see what needs to be done. It also helped me see what I’ve accomplished during the semester.
In high school, teachers would just give me what was needed to be done. I couldn’t really see what the classes expected of me but a syllabus at the beginning of each semester that just explained how much tests, quizzes, etc. would weigh. Also, high school lasted all day and we were limited five minutes of a break for each class. With college, I’m not at school all day and my shortest break is fifteen minutes. That’s enough time to breath from class to class.
Sometimes, I have time to do homework in between classes. High school won’t allow you to do that. College is different just from the way the teachers teach. High school teachers are wonderful teachers, but they seem to give more worksheets out instead of talking to the class. My professors talk lecture my class what we need to learn. If we want to write something down, we have to do it ourselves. I usually just write down everything so I don’t miss a thing. There is a lot more homework in college and reading; your textbook is your best friend, when trying to pass a class. Every class I went to, the professor started the class with recommending the textbook. They would go on to say that we would have to read it to help us understand what’s going on. Textbooks in high school are like ancient objects. If I used a textbook in high school, it would be online. I actually prefer reading the textbook in front of me than it being online.
Finally, the big difference is the atmosphere around the campus. High school is filled with kids just trying to pass and get things over with. College has a different feel; students seem to have a sense of trying like they care. It’s nice having support from my family! In addition, going to school with students that are there for the same reason, to work hard and take pride in the education that we’re gaining.
So, with school back, take pride in that homework sheet and the class work. Have a good school year.
Julie is currently attending Georgia Gwinnett College.
