What are college classes like?

<p>Hello! Bit of a preface… Throughout my eleventh grade of high school, I will be attending select courses at university (Intro to World Literature and History of Civilization). My education thus far has been provided by an online school. Challenges and new experiences are my forte, but I’m concerned about being thrust into a college course at 16; online and traditional classrooms are stark contrasts of one another. I haven’t been significantly exposed to the latter. Social interaction, however, is an absolute comfort to me – I’ve been blessed on that front, and am far from worried about conversing with other students.</p>

<p>That said, may I please have a general summary of what to expect from my courses? Class sizes, professor communications, and whatever you feel is encompassed by the general course experience… Anything that will prepare me for the transition from online to traditional classrooms.</p>

<p>Thank you very much for your time! I am extremely grateful for your assistance. xx</p>

<p>[How</a> Is College Different From High School? - - SMU](<a href=“http://smu.edu/alec/transition.asp]How”>http://smu.edu/alec/transition.asp) is the best description I’ve found summarizing the difference.</p>

<p>I went from an online school to college three years ago. Overall, i have found that the professors, depending of course, are generally helpful. Classes can take a bit to get used to, but generally the smaller the class the more open it is to in depth discussions.</p>

<p>In reality, however, we cannot tell you what to expect because every siuation is different.</p>

<p>Depending on the size of the college, you may have lecture style (with 100+ students) or more intimate classes. Your professor will probably be helpful, but will not hold your hand- you get the syllabus at the beginning of the semester that will outline your assignments for the semester. He/she may or may not remind you before the assignments are due and it’s your responsibility to turn them in on time. </p>

<p>My classes are generally as follows:</p>

<p>Professor conducts a lecture at the front of the class using powerpoint. Students are welcome to ask questions at any point & discussion with the professor about the topic is encouraged. Classes, in my experience, generally end a few minutes early if there aren’t a lot of questions/discussions. </p>

<p>Hope that was helpful, because it’s all I can think of. Just remember that every experience is different and go into it with an open mind:)</p>

<p>More participation. In high school if the teacher calls on you and you just belch you can still get As in the class. If you do that in college, not so much.
This includes participation with other students in student projects.</p>

<p>In general, you’ll start out in large classes and they’ll shrink smaller and smaller as you become more specialized within your major. It’s possible to have one class with 100+ people in a stadium-like lecture hall then have your next class with 10 people in a small lab.</p>

<p>The general difference is this: People assume you’re in high school because you have to be there. People assume you’re at college because you want to be there.</p>

<p>There is a program at my old CC that allows high school students to take classes. So, it has not been uncommon for me to find a 12 or 14 year old sometimes in my class. I know one of my dearest friends was someone I met that was 16 in 2011 and is going to MIT this fall.</p>

<p>I find that the high school students in my courses are more focused than the regular college students. This is different from the four-year experience though where you’re paying 20K+ a year versus 4K or so at a CC and can drop out anytime you feel like without much debt.</p>

<p>Honestly, some courses it won’t feel all that different from a high school class. Mostly general education or liberal arts class (from my perspective). Your major courses are a different story and nothing like high school.</p>