What to Expect

It is normal to feel nervous and uncertain about starting college or university because this is a new change and a big step to make after leaving school. But it is important to remember this is an exciting adventure onto the next stage of your education, so here is some advice on what to expect to make that transition a little easier.

The biggest difference between school and Higher Education is that you have much more independence, which means you have less class time within the timetable and more independent study. Some courses involve more class time than others but generally you have more time to study on your own and be responsible for managing your time and workload well. Most people enjoy the sense of freedom but make sure you take responsibility and be self-disciplined to get the work done.
This can vary depending on the course you choose to study and whether it is at college or university. At college you will have more class-like lessons which you would be familiar with from school, but you will be encouraged to discuss topics as a group and work more independently without the teaching just talking through everything directly to you. At university the teaching style is a bit different from school and typically you would have either lectures (where a teacher/lecturer stands at the front as does a spoken presentation to a large group of students and you are expected to listen and take notes), seminars (where you are in smaller groups of students and you discuss what was covered in the lecture), or tutorials (where you could have practical classes in a workshop using your new skills and techniques in practice).
The workload isn’t as intimidating as you might this, the difference is the way you go about learning it. With the increased independence it will be your responsibility to do your own research on the topic which means gathering your own information from reading relevant books and articles. At college or university, it is important you form opinions based on the reading you have done because a big element of the learning is your critical thinking and how you analyse information, think for yourself, and pose arguments or solutions.

What to Expect

What will my timetable be like?

What are the classes like?

What is the workload like?

What is it like to be a student?

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