Your college life will not be the same as your life in high school. The responsibilities and expectations are completely different, and it will take some adjustment. 

High School 

In high school, you may be used to a set daily schedule. Wake up at 6 a.m., be at the bus stop by 6:45 a.m., and be in class by 7:30 a.m. Attendance is mandatory, your teachers make sure that you’re keeping up with assignments, and your schedule is already made for you aside from your electives. Your responsibilities as a high school student are easier than those of a college student. Your workload will be lighter and less challenging; it’s possible that you’ll have more free time, and you’ll have more people monitoring your academic performance to make sure that you’re doing what you need to do. All you have to do is show up and do the work! The class sizes are smaller, which also makes it easier to build relationships with your teachers. There’s a system in place to keep you disciplined.

 

College Life

In college, you are responsible for disciplining yourself. The only person responsible for your academics is you. There won’t be any parents or teachers to sit you down and make sure that you’re studying. Your mom will not be waking you up in the morning to make sure you make it to class on time. Your teachers will not be monitoring your grades to make sure that you’re completing the work. The responsibility is all on you! That’s why it’s important to develop healthy habits and become more independent so that you can function well on your own as an adult. You will be expected to choose your own classes in accordance with your major and to make sure that you’re getting all of the necessary credits. You are expected to have good time management and make sure that your assignments are completed and turned in on time. Every professor will not sympathize with you. You must make sure that you’re on top of your obligations. In high school, you may be used to having people, such as your parents and teachers, monitor you to make sure you’re performing well. In college, you are expected to do well for yourself by showing up to class, participating, taking your own notes, building relationships with your professors, and networking. Your schedule will not be the same every day. On Monday, you may start class at 9 a.m. On Tuesday, you may start class at 12:30 p.m. The class sizes may be significantly larger than the 20 kids you’re used to in high school. Because of all of these drastic changes, freshman year will be an adjustment for you. Fortunately, there are resources on campus to help you cope with these life changes.

Check out Towson University’s Health & Wellness Center: TU Wellness Center