| Topic |
High School |
College |
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| Personal Freedom |
- Public high school education is mandatory and free.
- The days and times you attend class are structured by others.
- You can depend on your parents and teachers to remind you of your responsibilities and to help you with organizing your priorities.
- Guiding principle: You will usually be told what your responsibilities are and corrected if your behavior is out of line.
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- College is voluntary and expensive.
- You manage your own time.
- You will be faced with a lot decisions you have never faced before, and will need to decide for yourself what is right. You will balance responsibilities and set priorities on your own.
- Guiding principle: You’re old enough to take responsibility for what you do and for the consequences of your actions.
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| Teachers/ Professors |
- Teachers check to see if you have completed your homework. Teachers remind you of missing work.
- Teachers offer help when they see you struggling.
- Teachers are available for conversation and tutoring most every day.
- Teachers have been trained in teaching methods that help all students learn. Teachers provide you with information missed when you were absent. Teachers’ lessons help you understand the textbook. Teachers often write information on the board for you to copy into your notes. Teachers not only give you information and facts, but lead you through the thinking process. Teachers take the time to remind you of assignments and due dates.
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- Professors may not check your homework, but expect you to know how to perform those tasks on exams.
- Professors may not remind you of missing work.
- Professors are usually open and helpful, but expect you to contact them if you are struggling.
- Professors have set office hours in which you can meet with them.
- Professors are experts in their field of study, not in teaching methods.
- Professors expect you to get information missed when you were absent from your classmates.
- Professors may not follow the textbook, but will expect you to read it and know the information for assignments and exams.
- Instructors may lecture non-stop and expect you to identify important information and take notes.
- Professors expect you to think about and synthesize what you are learning.
- Professors expect you to have read the syllabus and know when assignments are due and the days of exams.
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| Studying |
- You may study as little as 0-2 hours a week, and mainly for test preparation.
- You often only need to read text or hear presentations once to learn all you need to know about them. You are expected to read short assignments, which are then discussed and re-taught in class.
- Guiding Principle: You will usually be told in class what you need to learn from each assignment.
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- You need to study at least 3 hours outside of class for each hour in class.
- You need to review class notes and text materials every day.
- You are assigned substantial amounts of reading and writing which might not be addressed in class.
- Guiding Principle: It’s up to you to read and understand assigned materials, and be ready to use that material on your exams.
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| Testing |
- Tests occur often and cover small amounts of material. Makeup tests are often available.
- Teachers may rearrange test dates depending on school events.
- Teachers review materials with students before tests. Student mastery of material is shown by being able to repeat the skills/solve the problems you were taught in class.
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- Tests are infrequent, sometimes only once or twice a semester, and cover massive amounts of material.
- Makeup tests are seldom an option.
- Professors schedule exams without regard to the demands of other classes or outside activities.
- Professors rarely offer review sessions and when they do, they expect you to participate fully and come prepared with questions.
- Student mastery is shown by being able to apply what you have learned through real life problems and to solve new kinds of problems.
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| Grades |
- Grades are given for most assigned work. Homework/classwork grades may help raise your overall grade when test grades are low.
- Extra credit is often available to help you raise your grade. Initial test grades, especially when they are low, may not adversely affect your final grade.
- Guiding Principle: “Effort counts.” Grades are usually structured to reward a “good-faith effort.”
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- Grades may not be given for all assigned work.
- Grades on tests and projects usually provide most of the course grade.
- Extra credit is not generally used at the college level.
- First exams can often be a wake up call to let you know what is expected, but can also count for a large portion of your course grade. Many courses require a “C” or better to pass.
- Guiding Principle: “Results count.” Though professors are more willing to help you if you have made a good effort, it is not a substitute for results in the grading process.
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