<p>Perhaps I should clarify what I said in my original posting. Even though my D said that college is much easier than high school, she was not complaining about it. She was under an incredible amount of stress in high school which caused her to suffer from anxiety and depression. Now she has time for extracurricular activities and just hanging out with her new college friends.</p>
<p>“College is Easier” does not translate to “Courses are not challenging.”</p>
<p>Lefty makes a good point – the large GE requirements can be stressful. OTOH - It provides opportunities to explore a filed one may never had considered before. The important thing is to realize the choices are there. If large GE is causing undue hardship then look at the options.</p>
<p>20more – Well, I am sure to tell my son “college will be easier” if you choose carefully based on the fit and your needs. I would never encourage a school whose motto is “Where Fun Comes to Die” as easier than high school. What I am attempting to do is say “Look, you worked hard, your hard work has opened many college options. The options include choices for a more balanced life and include choices for stronger academic challenges. But you cannot have it all. The stress is taking too much of a toll.” For him, his HS life is proving that. A different type of student may be able to have both. I think high scoring HS students get caught in a cycle of Ivy/top 20 or nothing mode. I just want him to steer away from that. In our little corridor, I just see the “Race to Nowhere” draining these kids of a life.</p>
<p>umd… sounds to me like your D was given the tools she needed at her hs to excel at her college…and seems like she has found the perfect mix of studies and free time and is able to handle it all well. what more can a parent ask for their bright student. certainly not a “waste of four years”!!! congrats!!</p>
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<p>OP’s daughter is apparently attending an honors college (<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/12311172-post12.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/12311172-post12.html</a>), so that does not appear to be the solution.</p>
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<p>Very few students qualify for such colleges.</p>
<p>One would have hoped, would one not have, that a major university ranked in the top 20 in USNWR would have science majors that would challenge even the most well-prepared high school grad?</p>
<p>Or could it be - just possibly - that there are a lot of naked emperors dancing around the pages of USNWR?</p>
<p>In some colleges, first semester courses can be (not always) a review of what some kids had in HS particularly on colleges that do not accept APs for core requirements. My D is experiencing a mix - she has one course that require 24-30 hours per week of studio time while others are basically read, synthesize, test type of course…But she is also finding that her very rigorous EC schedule in HS no longer exists giving her more time to relax and focus. Instead of playing 3 varsity sports she is on intramural teams and going to the gym on her time…plus she no longer has to play on club teams on the off season. So, it is different but she feels like she in in more control of her time.</p>
<p>I just have to contribute to this discussion now, Longhaul! This is all very interesting - the spectrum of “not challenging and boring” vs. “exciting but manageable” vs. “exciting but surprisingly rigorous” vs. “it’s killing me.”</p>
<p>I had been considering what I would say about my own experience, and it seems like a great time to chime in, since I WENT to the school “where fun comes to die.” </p>
<p>I had gone to a fairly challenging but assembly-line-to-Ivies kind of HS where grades were more important than ideas and taking risks was definitely discouraged (except fortunately by a couple of teachers who saved my sanity).</p>
<p>I had several Bs in HS, and even 2 Cs (mostly because of risk-taking that didn’t always pay off - and because of boredom and lack of inspiration), but I did have high test scores and worked a lot on my own, which convinced said University to accept me. </p>
<p>Suddenly at this University, I found myself able to get all As without even thinking about it, and enjoyed my work immensely. I did have a Common Core and had to take lots of classes in areas I didn’t think I liked, but the atmosphere and most importantly the meaningful subject matter inspired me to work. </p>
<p>I did spread out my Core work and made sure I had classes I enjoyed as much as I could. I also wasn’t the party type, but I was plenty social with intramurals, going to the city, going to movies and arts events on campus, etc. I didn’t spend much time in the library except to go to my job there (unlike many students who regularly put in 4-5 hours a day at the library). I was fortunately to be a fast reader and writer and to have learned efficient study habits back in HS (probably to avoid the boring stuff there!).</p>
<p>I am not bragging - I was not a stellar HS student, but I had potential, and I went to a University that brought it out. It was plenty challenging, but there was a lot of joy in it. And I do think the fact that I had already learned how it felt to get Bs and even Cs (and I expected them fully in college, especially there) made me put all that out of my mind and just focus on my work for its own sake. I was very, very lucky. But I do treasure the opportunity I had to see college as a wonderful place to explore, challenge myself, be inspired and grow. I would wish this for anyone.</p>
<p>No answers from me, except that happy is good, quality work is good, and also the level of difficulty can change from one term to the next. Enjoy the breaks while you can.</p>
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<p>I absolutely 100% agree with you.</p>
<p>“Your daughter may want to research other schools and consider transferring. She really doesn’t have four years to waste.”</p>
<p>Mouth agape…there are some kids coming out of rigorous, highly competitive high schools who will do very, very well in college and in life if their stress level is reduced 5-10%…or more!</p>
<p>lol snowdog…my chin is probably dropped as low as yours! it always amazes me how some become so entrenched in the belief that only a certain college or tier of college can possibly offer the “best” experience. If admission rates for the elites are running about 9% does that mean that the 91% of bright students that dont get accepted suddenly become dumbed down?? of course not…91% of the brightest students are out at some of the other 3600 universities…doing well, and succeeding… i’m sure that those 91% get research opportunities, get accepted to grad schools and find jobs too</p>
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<p>Stress took it’s toll on my D in high school. In fact, stress is the #1 mental health issue for kids on campus, followed closely by depression. I think my D has a balance of academics, extracurriculars, and socializing at her college. She has found like-minded students at her college that attracts tech and science geeks. She enjoys being one of the top students in her courses. The professor of one of her honor’s comp sci courses has personally taken an interest in her.</p>
<p>My dd just feels she is well prepared for college. Not any harder or easier than it was in high school. </p>
<p>She is not a top 20 but she is still at an honors college that is ranked well enough for me.</p>
<p>My experience at a top 15 university…with a social science major…this does not apply to math/engineering classes…</p>
<p>You had to work really hard to get a grade below a B</p>
<p>If you actually did the readings more than the night before the exams and went to class, you always got at least a B and more likely, an A.</p>
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<p>Unfortunately, our D got caught up in this whole “mentality” when she was in high school. My H and I didn’t put any pressure on her at all. It came from the other students in her competitive high school. I think she has picked the right college for her. I feel confident that she will be challenged (but not overwhelmed) and will go on to be a successful in her endeavors. As a female interested in computer science and math, the world is her oyster.</p>
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<p>Love it, that’s going into my mental bookmark of all time favorite CC quotes.</p>
<p>momof3…maybe we could start a 91% 9% movement! as 91% of the brightest are elsewhere…hmmmmm 
:)</p>
<p>High school classes require a lot of structured work that keeps kids busy. College classes are less structured, and there is an assumption that the students will do more self-guided work out of class. </p>
<p>I suspect that bright kids who are used to a very busy high school curriculum might well find college “easier” in a certain sense, simply because it is less structured than high school. The downside is that one bad assessment–a lousy paper, a failed exam–will kill your grade in a course, and there is no extra credit or do-over.</p>
<p>I would agree with this in a way.</p>
<p>I went to a pretty intensely competitive public HS. The busywork, looking back, was insane. Work from the time I got home until 2-3 am. No time for extracurriculars, except the ones that met before school (which meant even less sleep!).</p>
<p>I’m studying engineering at a top15 university now, and although there is a lot of work, and that work is much, MUCH more challenging than what we did in HS, its no where near the amount I was drowning in in high school. Or maybe it is just as much work, but having been through it before, I’m more prepared to handle it? (Although I do miss the grade buffers of daily hw and participation points lol)</p>
<p>"College Is So Much Easier Than High School " </p>
<p>at colleges such as MIT, Chicago and Caltech, this is not the case.</p>
<p>If easier = better prepared to handle the challenging workload therefore less stressed then that is a good thing</p>
<p>If easier = I don’t have to work/try as hard, then that is not a good thing</p>
<p>I’d be horrified to think that the second meaning would apply to college being easier than HS.</p>
<p>rom828 – In my D’s case, your first statement applies to her.</p>
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<p>menloparkmom – Was this even necessary? Seems like a put down to my D since she is not attending one of these elite schools.</p>
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