If there's one important thing I've learned about being a college freshman (other than what I've learned in class of course), it has to be this: college is nothing like high school. Even though I've only been a college student for a few weeks I can already tell that there are major differences between high school and college experiences.
1. College classes teach you information that you will use in your career, and high school classes don't.
I'm not saying that all high school classes are useless, but what's the point in a student spending an entire two semesters in chemistry class when they're going to college to become an accountant? Not all high schools are the same, but mine mostly taught us only how to memorize the material to pass a test. I don't feel as if I actually learned anything that was "taught" to me.
2. You don't get treated like a kid in college.
Although many of us were 18 and in high school at some point, we were still told that we can't use the bathroom or that our clothes are "inappropriate" for school. College doesn't care (too much, anyway). College professors expect you to get your work done and won't baby you about things involving the classroom. I believe this is great for preparing us for when we go out in the real world. In my opinion, high school would be more beneficial to students if the students were treated more like young adults and not children.
3. People change the way they interact socially at college.
Although it will never permanently be gone, the "clique" system tends to fade away after you graduate high school. People are more friendly in college which makes it easier to make friends, and that tends to draw sometimes shy people like myself out of their shells. Also, unlike high school students, many of us who attend college don't have time any more for the daily pointless drama that stirred everything up in high school. Friendships also feel more real in college because you aren't forced to see the same people every day and you sometimes have to go out of your way to see your friends. This generally weeds out a large portion of fake high school friends that just tolerate each other every day.
Obviously these three points are from my perspective and not everyone will feel the same, but I believe that many can relate to this. College is great because it allows you to grow as a person and learn things that will help you in life, while I feel that high school is sort of a dead end when it comes to growth. I'm just glad that I finally get some freedom in my education.
