Parents

Differences in Classes between College and High School

Classes in High School

  • Bells ring to tell students the start of a new class.
  • Each day students proceed from one class to another.
  • Students spend six hours a day - 30 hours a week - in class.
  • Students are provided with textbooks for each class.
  • Teachers carefully monitor class attendance.
  • Course selection is fairly standard depending on the students' grade in school.

Guiding principle: Students will usually be told what their responsibilities are and corrected if their behavior is out of line.

Classes in College

  • Students bear the burden of getting to class on time.
  • Students often have hours between classes and class length can vary throughout the day.
  • Students spend 12 to 16 hours a week in class.
  • Students must purchase their own textbooks for each class and must budget $200 to $300 each semester for the cost of books.
  • Some professors may not take roll but they are likely to know whether or not students attended. Each professor determines the criteria for excessive absences and publishes this in the class syllabus. Not only do criteria differ class by class but the consequences for excessive absences also differ. One professor may withdraw the student while another may issue a failing grade. Always remember that class attendance is critical to success.
  • Course selection varies greatly depending on a student's major and the year they start college. Working with an adviser to develop an education plan helps eliminate a lot of the confusion.

Guiding Principle: Students are old enough to take responsibility for what they do and what they don't do and understand that each decision has a consequence.