High School
Teacher/Student Contact – Students interact with instructors each day of the school week.
Textbooks – Students are provided textbooks for each class.
Weekly Schedule – Students attend classes back-to-back and only have a few minutes between classes.
Course Selection – Students are placed in fairly standard classes based on grades in school.
Academics – Good grades can often be obtained with minimum effort, and most assignments can be completed within short periods of time.
Grades – If students consistently turn in quality work on assignments for their class, their grades in that class may improve.
Counseling/Dependence – Students can rely on parents, teachers, and counselors to help make decisions and give advice.
Motivation – Students receive incentive to achieve or participate from parents, teachers, and counselors. They might also receive reminders of assignment due dates.
Distractions – There are distractions from homework through school and community activities, but this is somewhat regulated by the school and home.
College
Teacher/Student Contact – Instructors are available a few hours a week (office hours) and by appointment.
Textbooks – Students are responsible for acquiring their own textbooks for each course.
Weekly Schedule – Students may have long breaks between classes and class lengths may vary throughout the day.
Course Selection - Courses taken vary greatly from student to student based on major and year in school. Meeting with an advisor helps to clear up any confusion.
Academics – Minimum effort may result in poor grades. Most classes require several hours of homework each week to complete assignments and projects.
Grades – Assignments may be weighted differently. Large projects and tests often carry more weight. Students should refer to the course syllabus.
Counseling/Dependence – Students make their own decisions, and it is their responsibility to seek advice as needed.
Motivation – Students must be selfmotivated, organized, set priorities, and manage their time. No one will remind students when assignments are due.
Distractions – There are many more temptations to neglect course work and academic obligations. Students must balance their time.
Adapted from UWPlatt Counseling, ForsythTech, and NODA’s Helping Your First-Year College Student Succeed.