UNCW

High School vs. College

University of North Carolina Wilmington

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Here are a few examples of important differences between high school and college to discuss with your student.

Teacher-Student Interactions

High School

• Teachers typically approach students if they need help
• Teachers are often available for conversations before, during, and after class

College

• Professors are usually open and helpful, but most expect the student to initiate contact if they need help
• Professors expect (and want) students to attend their scheduled office hours or reach out via email

Classes

High School:

• Classes typically have no more than 35 students
• Teachers carefully monitor class attendance

College:

• Classes may range from
• 15–100+ students in a lecture hall
• Professors may not formally take roll, but they still likely know whether or not students attended

Studying

High School:

• Students may need to spend 1–2 hours per day completing homework or studying
• Students rely on listening in class and have limited reading assignments outside of class

College:

• Students need to study at least 2–3 hours outside of class for each hour in class
• Students need to take notes in class and review notes and other course materials regularly

Assignments

High School:

• Teachers remind students of due dates and incomplete work
• Good homework grades may raise a student’s overall grades when test grades are low

College:

• Professors might go over due dates at the beginning of the semester and then rely on students to check the syllabus the rest of the time
• Grades on tests and papers usually provide most of the course grade