5 Reasons College Is Better Than High School | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

5 Reasons College Is Better Than High School

Be ready for one of the best changes in your life

85
https://www.flickr.com/photos/codnewsroom/17672543350
flickr.com

The transition from high school to college can be tough and scary but as someone who has already gone through a semester of college I am pretty confident that college is way better than high school ever was. College may seem intimidating but trust me, it's way better.

The People

One of the worst things about high school is that there are a lot of mean, misbehaved, and self-absorbed people there. There is also a lot of bullying and drama and cliques and many people find it difficult to fit in. Also if you're shy and don't make a serious effort to put yourself out there high school could be very lonely. In college I feel that this is not the case. In college everyone is more mature so almost no bullying and drama occurs. I also see the university environment as a much more open and accepting one that champions diversity and inclusion. A college campus feels like a community and a family and you will always find a group of people who share your interests. Through an entire semester at Villanova I haven't witnessed a mean person yet. In fact nearly everyone at Villanova is super friendly and I felt right at home from day one. Surely there are nice people in high school but college gives a much better opportunity to make life-long friends.

Your Schedule

Now in college when I think about my high school days I ask myself how was I able to survive a high school schedule without totally burning out. In high school you have 7 classes, 5 days a week, all on top of each other, 6 to 7 hours straight of school and then 30 minutes to an hour or maybe even 2 hours of homework from each class on top of it. You barely have any time to yourself in high school. However in college you instead take 4-6 classes, each class most of the time is 2 or 3 days a week instead of 5, you could have large breaks in between your classes also, and you also have plenty of time to do your assignments. I did some calculations and in senior year of high school I spent about 31 hours and 10 minutes a week in class (I did have two lunch periods however so without lunch it was 24 hours and 20 minutes of class only) whereas in my first semester in college I spent only 12 hours and 30 minutes in class which is nearly half the time spent in class in high school. Although the work is harder, with this much time you aren't under the wire as much.

Socialization & Activities

At some point in your youth I'm sure you wished that you could live with your best friend or hang out with them every day without always being under the constant surveillance of adults and college pretty much gives you those freedoms within reason of course. You could room with your best bud from high school, spend weekend nights out with your friends, chill in your rooms together, stay up late, it's like your childhood dreams come true. There are also clubs for pretty much any interest and from my experiences sometimes certain clubs go to sports games, retreats, and have formals. You have so much more opportunity to meet people, make friends, and enjoy each other's company which is much harder in high school's rigid scheduling.

Choice

In college you can finally make choices for yourself. In college you finally have the freedom to pick all of your classes, professors, and meeting times. You get to choose the field of study that you want to major in and this could of course be something you love. Of course like high school there are required classes but it is much more flexible in college. Hate history? Well you don't have to take it ever semester like in high school maybe in college you will only have to take it one semester to fulfill your core requirement. When you start your classes and realize there is a class you can't handle you can drop it and add another class within the first week. If there is a class that you think you're gonna fail you can WX it and it wont affect your GPA. Unlike high school there is so much choice in college where you aren't doomed to power through certain classes in my high school we were forced to take AP world and AP US and were strongly encouraged to take more AP classes.

Classes

Although college classes can be pretty challenging and can sometimes push you to your absolute limit, the classes college offers are superior to that of high school. I feel like as you go through school the classes get more in depth and specific instead of these huge broad subjects. In middle school all I had was math, science, English, and social studies. In high school it gets a little less broad like World History, Chemistry, Algebra. But in college there are many classes that delve in deeper to these topics. When I took psychology in high school I found the units on childhood development and disorders very interesting but we couldn't spend too much time on it because we had so much more material to cover on other topics. But college offers entire courses on specific topics such as those and thus the classes are more interesting and you get to learn a particular topic in depth instead of learning the bare minimum from a smorgasbord of topics. Like I mentioned you get to major in your favorite field of study and be enriched with knowledge on that topic. Also you have much less assignments too. In high school you would get a test on ever chapter and homework ever night for every class but in college you could get like 2 or 3 tests or papers. They're of course more content heavy but you have so much more time to complete everything.

And those are my 5 reasons. Don't sweat college because it is a lot of fun and much easier and enjoyable than high school ever was.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

191786
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

15788
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

458544
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

26984
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments