College Students Reflect On Their High School Experience

Jaliah Jada Vargas, Opinions Editor
May 17, 2022

We all anticipate life after high school and the freedom we’ll have. For those of us who choose to go to higher education, there are always questions and worries about how much life will change with newfound responsibilities. Fortunately, there are students willing to share how college life differs from high school.

Mariah Dushane, age 24, attends the University of North Dakota. She double majored in Criminal Justice and Rehabilitation and Human Services. She also has two bachelor of science degrees and is currently working on her Juris Doctorate degree.

What’s one thing that you miss about high school?

The workload in college is different than in high school based on the courses that you select. Every professor has the discretion to choose how they want to distribute grades for the course. Therefore, you may have some courses where your grade for the course is solely based on the final exam, or you may have courses that only require weekly assignments and participation.

Was there a change mentally when you started college?

Yes, there was a mental change when I started college because I knew that I was responsible for holding myself accountable. In high school, many teachers will push you to complete your work or make sure that you’re doing what you’re supposed to. In college, professors may not even know your name after spending the whole semester in their class. You are responsible for yourself and making sure that you do the necessary work.

What’s a benefit to college that wasn’t there for high school?

The benefit of college compared to high school is being able to make your own choices. You have a greater sense of freedom with the courses that you want to take based on what you are most interested in. Another benefit is meeting people who have similar goals/interests as you.

Is there anything you wish you did in high school more to prep for college?

I feel like I did the best that I could to prepare for college. Looking back, if I could change one thing, I would remind myself that it takes time to find your true friends. I remember during my first few months of school, I felt like I hadn’t really connected with anyone. Being in a new environment and routine can make you feel lonely at times, but you will meet your people and feel at home with time

Lauren Cincotta is a politics major in her first year of college at Mount Holyoke College.

What’s one thing that you miss about high school?I miss having people I knew in my classes regularly, especially in your first semester of college. It’s different walking into a room when you aren’t in class with the same people you’ve been with for years.

Was there a change mentally when you started college?

Being in a new environment can be a difficult adjustment, and I think the hardest part is managing your own expectations for how it actually will be compared to how you imagined it. You have to give it time and waiting for things to fall into place was difficult for me. It definitely did, but not all at once. By the end of my first semester I was really happy and felt like I had really made the right choice.

What’s a benefit to college that wasn’t there for high school?

The biggest benefit of college is more flexibility. I love being able to pick the classes I want, and considering whether I want to have classes in the morning or afternoon, spread through the week or just on a few days. Having more control over how I spend my day is wonderful. I also love the semester schedule because it gives you time to try new things and gain experiences while giving you time to change up what isn’t working. I feel more eager to try new things because I know that if it doesn’t work it’s not too long before I can make a change.

Is there anything you wish you did in high school more to prep for college?

I don’t know if there’s anything in high school that I would have done differently to prepare. I think I should have appreciated certain things more but I think college is something you have to give yourself time to experience and can’t prepare too much for.

Do you manage time differently? Explain.

Yes, the way I manage my time has totally changed and I think for the better. With fewer assignments and deadlines that I know well in advance, I spend less time each day on work. I can break papers down and work on them over time and give myself time to take breaks from it before I go back for final edits. I always try to do a little reading for my classes each day but the biggest thing is to schedule time for myself at the end of the day to relax and read something fun. Around exams it can be a little more stressful but if you build little amounts of work into your day it becomes a regular habit and way less stressful than trying to get homework done for every class every night.

How are the classes compared to high school?

A lot of my classes use the “flipped classroom” model which means we do most of our reading and assignments outside of class to prepare for discussion outside of class time. As a politics major, classes are spent trying to make sense of the readings and developing your own ideas. They also are pretty informal and can be really fun. In my experience, the professors really just want people to participate in discussions and ask questions.

While not everyone’s experience will be the same, it is helpful to ask peers around you who have or are currently going through that experience. Whatever it is that you want to do in the future there is always someone that you can talk to who can help you through your journey in college. Maybe it’s a teacher or a parent, maybe it’s none of the above but there are so many people with so many different jobs and somebody has the job that you want to go to college for so don’t be afraid to ask all the questions you have.