High School and College Classes, Are They All That Different?

In movies college courses are usually represented by a large lecture hall filled with hundreds of students with glazed eyes as they stare at a board filled with figures a professor has frantically scribbled down.  Now, is this what college is really like and how different is a class at a university from a class at high school?  The answer: very different, at least at first glance, but there are similarities hidden among the drastically different schedule layouts.

The university offers many different class types, some are held in a lecture hall where you are surrounded by hundreds of your peers, while others are held in classrooms where the class is equal to that of a class in high school, or in some cases even smaller.  The first difference you will find between a high school class and one in college is the grading scale.  In high school and college, classes are graded on a A-F scale, however, in college you can choose to instead make the class a pass-fail class.  This means that if you receive a score that is above a certain percentage you pass, if it is under you fail, there is no in between.  While this grading scale may appeal to some, in most cases it is not ideal for a transcript.

Another difference is size and class length.  I took a biology course last semester where I had lecture with about one hundred other students, twice a week for a little over an hour.  Also as part of the class I had a lab session once a week with about fifteen other students for two hours.  Now you may notice a lot of differences with this layout from the one used in high school.  For one, I do not have class every day, most classes will have lecture two to three times per week and at least one discussion.  How often in the week the class is held determines the length of the class.  If a student has a class once a week it will usually last around three hours, but if they have the class three times a week it is about fifty minutes long.  Most lectures are not as large as the one I had for biology, for example, my political science lecture was about as large as a normal high school class.  You may also notice that my lab was considerably smaller than my lecture, the smaller size in labs and discussions allow for more one on one attention.

In addition to their discussion, students can meet with their professors or TA’s (who run the discussions and labs) during their office hours.  Office hours are set times where the professors and TAs are required to be in their office, waiting for students who need their help.  Unfortunately these hours can be on any day and at any time throughout the week, so they may occur while another class is in session, in which case the student must make an appointment.  This setup is very different from coming in before or after school to meet with a teacher according to your schedule.

In high school teachers will attempt to involve everyone into a class discussion or group project to allow everyone to receive participation points.  In college the professor may offer additional ways to gain participation points, like the student’s level of involvement in online discussion posts, comments in class, or timely return on assignments.  However, in the end the responsibility of participation rests on the student, professors will not tell you what your grades are or where you need more work, they may post your test grade on a website but it is up to the student to calculate where their efforts are needed.

A humorous similarity I found between high school and college was the attachment students have to their phones.  However, to me it seemed that college students experience even greater separation anxiety from their phones than I have observed in high schoolers.  During a class it is not uncommon to hear a variety of beeps, rings, and buzzes throughout the lecture.  Most professors ignore the devices and how often their students use them, but some won’t hesitate to threaten to take them.  My writing teacher announced on the first day that he would not tolerate the use of cell phones in class, it sent me right back into memories of the first day of every high school class.

One of the biggest differences and yet similarity I have observed between high school classes and college classes is academic drive.  Since most college students are paying for the courses they are taking, they have more of an incentive to show up for class and do well so that they don’t have to retake, and therefore repay for the course.  There will always be people who will complain and cause distractions in college and high school, in college however, most choose not to show up for class on those days, therefore allowing the rest of the class to concentrate.  Unfortunately there is no freedom in high school from the individuals who would seek to cause the rest of the class to share their misery.  However, not all students experience a greater academic drive, some slack off when released from the pressure of their parents.  It seems that no matter the environment there will always be students unwilling to learn.

High school classes and college courses are very different when it comes to grading scales, the size and length of the class, the availability of professors and teaching assistants, interaction between the teacher and the student, and student involvement.  However, there are many classes offered within a university that are strikingly similar to high school, the most common are freshman required courses which act a bit like a bridge between the high school environment and the university campus.  Although college freshmen are handed a new life filled with new freedoms coupled with new responsibilities, most are well prepared by the efforts of their teachers in high school.  

The Stress of Finals Week

Overwhelming stress, lack of sleep, cramming sessions, and many cups of coffee  all point to one time of year, finals week.  Classes officially ended on Wednesday, December 16th and the only things standing in the way of a month long winter break are finals.  Finals typically last anywhere from two to four hours long and the professor choses the time and location of the test.  While tests in general are stressful, finals are overwhelming, especially when someone may have three to four all in a 24-48 hour period.  So how do college and PSEO students deal with the pressure and the stress?

Many students that I spoke to mentioned that music helped them to relax and in some cases concentrate more fully on the studying at hand.  Erin Hagen, an 18 year old freshman from Shorewood, WI explained to me how she made a “study list,” a collection of songs with no vocals which she plays while looking over her notes to minimize distractions.  What I personally find most relaxing is sitting in the comfy chairs in the student union in front of a warm fireplace while listening to someone play christmas carols on the piano.  So whether music is used to add to the study environment or as a distraction, it is a useful relaxation tactic.

Another form of relaxation that was brought to my attention was sleep.  Navita Lakhram, a 17 year old PSEO student from Cottage Grove expressed the importance of “10 minute power naps.”  She stated that she attempts to sleep when she gets the chance, but during the rest of the day she drinks plenty of soda to keep from drifting off.  A habit of Nicole Shank’s, a 17 year old PSEO student from Cottage Grove, is to nod off on the bus ride to school every morning.  This is her way of relaxing before starting the day while catching up on a few more minutes of sleep.  She also attempts to complete the cross word in the newspaper every morning as a way to unwind before class, if she can keep from falling back to sleep.  Sleep is used by many as a way to take a break from the endless flow of incoming information and as a way to restore strength and vitality.  However, if they aren’t careful some students may find themselves sleeping through their study sessions.

Another way of unwinding from the stress of finals is by distraction.  Many people referenced frequent visits to facebook and youtube, as well as lounging in front of the TV.  Navita confessed to getting sidetracked by her addiction to farmville and cafe world on facebook.  While Tara Wright, an 18 year old PSEO student from Prior Lake admitted to zoning out in front of episodes of 24 and House.  While distractions make a welcomed break from lecture notes and slideshows they can also inhibit studying ability when used too often.

The final way students ward off stress is to create days to just get out with a friend.  Whether those days consist of lunch with a close buddy, coffee with an acquaintance, or a brief shopping trip it is peaceful to leave thoughts of math equations and important dates in history behind for a bit.  Rebecca Ruth, a 19 year old freshman from Blue Earth, MN and Erin Hagen described their tradition of “Noodles Friday.”  They go out to Noodles & Company every friday, after which they sometimes go to the bookstore in the student union and shop or hold movie marathons.  Planned days give students a goal to work towards, and act as a nice reward for all the studying they have already done.

There are many ways to relieve the building stress that accompany finals.  Whether students choose to use music, sleep, distractions, or planned outings with friends there are plenty of ways to relax during one of the most stressful times of the year.

PSEO word of advice: create or attend a study group to practice for a test.  Whether the study group consists of two or twenty people they can be extremely helpful when it comes to remembering facts.  Someone may understand a concept that is completely over your head, or they may be able to simplify it so you find it easier to remember.  What I always find useful are acronyms, using the first letters of words to create a word or phrase that I can easily recall.  Someone else may have a fantastic acronym that I would not have known had I not studied with them.  Friends may also cause you to think more deeply about a subject than you otherwise would have.  Study groups are helpful because they allow you to learn from your peers while in turn teaching others.

Mid-Terms

It’s that time of year, time to barricade yourself into bedrooms and other secluded areas, time to discard the remnants of a social life and learn to function on only a few hours of sleep, mid-terms have arrived.  Alright, so that description may be a bit overdramatic, but mid-terms are nothing to scoff at.  They set the precedence for the remaining portion of the class, it’s when students discover which classes they need to devote the majority of their time to and which come more naturally.  It is a chance to see your teacher’s/professor’s personality and their expectations for the rest of the class.  Are they straightforward and easy going, or are they secretive and demanding?  All these helpful parcels of information can be gathered through the days leading up to the big test and the moment when you look down and stare with butterflies in your stomach at the packet of paper sitting in front of you.  Mid-terms in high school and college are similar in various ways, yet they differ in some aspects.

 In high school most teachers tend to be fairly straight forward about tests, they may not go over every detail that will be included but most will kindly hand out a review sheet or practice problems.  If you are lucky, as I have been so far, you will get a professor who will extend the same courtesy.  I have a math professor who told us what to study, told us what the problems will be like, and even included various equations for us to use.  However, not all professors are so kind, some will expect you to know what will be included, and will expect you to memorize every formula you touched on in class.  Not a whole lot different than in high school.  My Political Science professor gave the class a review sheet with all the topics to study included on it, the catch was that we had to incorporate various themes into an essay included on the test, and we did not know if we would be assigned an essay or if we would get a choice.  Just like in high school, the amount of help and hints you get before a test depends on the instructor.

However, mid-terms in college are not all like ones in high school.  For example, your professor may not even give the exam.  This occurred in my Biology lecture, where the teaching assistants gave the test and walked around the lecture hall to make sure no one was cheating.  Your exam could even be in a different building at a completely different time than your normal class.  One of the main difficulties of taking a test in college is ending in the allowed amount of time.  The average high school class at Park is about an hour and a half, so that is about an hour to an hour and a half to take a test.  In some classes you get less then 50 minutes to complete your test, while in others you may get a couple of hours.  It all depends on the length of your class.  One of the biggest differences between high school test preparation and college is that teachers at the high school are more readily available than professors are.  Teachers are required to stay at least a half an hour after school and many stay longer, not to mention come in early.  Professors are also required to have open office hours, however, they can schedule them on any day at any time, so they can coincide with a class you must attend.  In some cases, professors and TA’s will actually cut down their office hours, limiting their availability even more.  All in all there are many similarities and a few differences between mid-terms at the high school and mid-terms in college.

Do or don’t PSEO rule for the week:  don’t announce your status as PSEO on the first day.  This rule is highly debatable, really it is a person choice and dependent on the situation, but my advice is to hold off a bit.  If you do announce that you are PSEO you will frequently receive two responses.  One will be positive, something along the lines of, “that’s really cool I wish I did that in high school” or “I did it too, what classes are you taking.”  You may also get a negative response referring to your lower ‘status’.  Some students may see you as below them because you are still in high school, that you have it easy because you don’t live the actual college life.  I advise that you hold off a bit and get to know people more, then decide whether you want them to know or not.  You may be surprised what you find out about your new friends, the might be PSEO too, and they are more likely to support you and react positively because of your relationship.

 

Summer Volunteer Opportunities

           Summer has arrived at last as people begin emerging from layers of protective clothing, swimsuits are dug out of closets, pools are uncovered, and flip-flops are again the footwear of choice.  High school students look ahead to a summer filled with: late nights around a bonfire, days sprawled out at the beach, lazy afternoons around the pool, and weekends volunteering with a local charity. 

Okay, maybe that isn’t everyone’s summer dream, but the volunteering can be just as fun as a day at the pool.  By volunteering you can explore possible career interests and try them out to see if it is a career worth pursuing.  New friends can be made and new interests can be discovered, plus it looks good on a resume.  There are many ways to lend a hand, whether it is long term or just a day, there are options galore.

           Most short term volunteer options are available through institutions that you are affiliated with.  Church is a good example of this.  Churches are frequently looking for people to aid them in Sunday School, fundraisers, and social gatherings.  Most churches post announcements like these in bulletins or in highly frequented areas.  If a younger sibling plays in a summer sport they may need help with fundraising, and many coaches wouldn’t mind a helping hand or two every once in a while. 

Another option is to pick up trash along roads or in parks; this aids the environment and boosts the look of the town while creating an interesting group project.  And if your heart is set on those days around the pool, you can always volunteer to teach swimming lessons. 

           Long term volunteer options require a commitment that in some cases may extend past the summer.  One opportunity that can be either long term or short term is helping at a homeless center.  You can prepare or distribute meals to the residents, socialize with the occupants, or work more behind the scenes in an office. 

A short term option is to hold a food drive or raise money to aid in keeping the center well stocked and running smoothly.  Hospitals are another good place to search for volunteering possibilities; this should especially be looked at for those who wish to pursue a career in the medical field.  The most common job is a candy striper.  A candy striper in most cases aids the nurses in their daily duties and interacts with patients. 

Other hospital jobs may include working at the greeting desk, sorting paperwork, or running an arts and crafts time for the children.  This job not only builds skill and experience, it also builds relationships that can carry on long after the summer ends.  People interested in working with children should consider applying for the Gillette Children’s Hospital volunteer group.  The application is no longer available for this coming summer, but it is something to keep in mind for next year. 

The library is another place that could always use a helping hand or two.  Various jobs can include anything from stacking books and aiding patrons, to reading to small children.  This opportunity is best suited for those who wish to stay in an indoor, air conditioned setting and does not mind a collection of small jobs. 

Senior Citizen Centers always welcome young volunteers to come and spend time with the elderly.  Many seniors enjoy having someone to listen to their stories and to spend time with them, and who knows, you might gain some indispensible advice.  Animal shelters are the last and perhaps most demanding of the volunteer selection.  Most local shelters have an age limit that may limit available volunteers and most also have a requirement of a certain number of volunteer hours each month, therefore guaranteeing your continuance of the program throughout the school year. 

After passing various classes and training programs options like dog walking, cat grooming, and care of small animals open up.  Although not all jobs are as glamorous as the ones above the program holds its own rewards.  A good amount of shelters also allow the option of moving up after a certain amount of experience has been gained through the basic program.  One of these options is to aid a vet as they check up on the animals and any procedures they have to perform.  This option is a good one to pursue for aspiring vets and other careers involving animals and animal science.           

           Maybe volunteering doesn’t top your list of things to do this summer, and maybe the idea of making a difference doesn’t really appeal to you.  But if you find the right opportunity that fits your interests and future job aspirations then it will feel less like a chore and more like what it is: an opportunity.  And of course any bit of volunteer work, even if it is just a random act here and there can help spice up any transcript or resume. 

These choices are not meant to limit the fun of your summer, rather they are meant to supplement it.  Below are some suggestions for various local volunteer locations, so there is no excuse to procrastinate, get out, give back to your community, and most of all, just have fun with it. 

Homeless Shelters:

Marie Sandvik Center                                             
1112 East Franklin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55407-7351
Phone: (612)870-9617

 

Marie Sandvik Center
1112 East Franklin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55407-7351
Phone: (612)870-9617

 

Hospitals:

Woodwinds Health Campus
1925 Woodwinds Drive
Woodbury 55125
651-232-0228
www.woodwinds.org

 

Gillette Children’s
Specialty Healthcare
200 E. University Avenue
St. Paul 55101
651-291-2848
www.gillettechildrens.org

 

St. John’s Hospital
1575 Beam Avenue
Maplewood 55109
651-232-7000
www.stjohnshospital-mn.org

 

 

Regina Medical Center
1175 Nininger Road
Hastings 55033
651-480-4100
www.reginamedical.org

 

Senior Citizen Centers:

South Washington Senior Center

8400 E Point Douglas Rd S, Cottage Grove, MN

 

Oak Ridge Manor Apartments

1199 Bahls Dr, Hastings, MN

 

Woodbury Health Care Center

7012 Lake Rd, Woodbury, MN

 

Animal Shelters:

Animal Ark
Animal Ark Home Page
957 West 7th Street, Hastings, MN 55102-3501
Telephone (651) 438-9195 or 772-8983 or 222-4651

 

Humane Society for Companion Animals
HSRC Homepage
1115 Beulah Lane, St. Paul, MN 55108-2602
Telephone (651) 645-7387

 

Minnesota Humane Society
1885 University Avenue W, St. Paul, MN 55104-3403
Telephone (651) 645-1344