Testing the Teachers: Is College Really as Hard as They Say?

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Recommended: Importance of study skills

It is time to turn the tables and test the teachers on the challenge of college. Throughout high school, students are told all about how difficult college is and what to expect. Not yet having experienced it, the students typically prepare for the worst. They teach themselves how to study based on the standards of their high school. They write papers, do homework, and participate in class in the attempt to meet the expectations of their teachers. They base their picture of college off their teachers’ standards and what their peers say. While many high school students have developed accurate expectations regarding the difficulties of college, the study skills acquired in high school may not be enough to ensure success at the collegiate level. High school students are often surrounded by a plethora of stories about the “realities” of college academics. The students base their expectations of college on those stories; however, sometimes the information they receive is conflicting. From teachers to peers to the colleges themselves, each has different advice about the strenuous nature of college academics. The expectations teachers have for their students attempt to prepare the students for the rigorous academics ahead. Students are told that in typical colleges, teachers do not care about one’s excuse for a late assignment or attendance issues. Therefore, high school teachers expect their students to turn in assignments on time and be in class. If those expectations are not met, some high school teachers will not accept the assignment or will expect the students to find out what they missed on their own. “The transition from a public high to a top U. can be difficult, stressful, and frustrating. You will have to learn to excel in... ... middle of paper ... ...cement Participation and University Academic Success in the First Semester: Controlling for Selected High School Academic Abilities." Journal of College Admission (Summer2010). Tippecanoe County Public Library. 26 Jan. 2011. Keyword: high school to college. Works Cited (Part II) Blankstein, Alan M. Facilitator's guide, Failure is not an option : 6 principles for making student success the only option, second edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2010. Carter, Carol, and Lewis Dylan. Study skills for high school students. Denver, CO: LifeBound, 2006. Fox, Gunnar. Kick ass in college: a guerrilla guide to college success. Dallas, TX: KickAssMedia, 2005. Hite, Jim. "What is College Level Work?" AIU Online: educator2educator. 31 Jan. 2008. 26 Jan. 2011. Nathan, Rebekah. My freshman year: what a professor learned by becoming a student. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 2005.

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