How much harder is college/university than high school?

Ada Lovelace · Apr 30, 2019

God saves said:
As a final year high school student, I am curious about how much harder is college/university than high school and whether it usually takes undergraduate university students to graduate with a Bachelor's in 3-4 years or longer?

Congratulations on being thisclose to the finish line for your high school education!

We just had Admit Weekend at my college and many prospective freshmen asked current students variations of this question. The answers were divergent, as unique as the respondents. There are so many variables, such as the breadth and rigor of your high school studies and how well they equipped you not just with specific education but with skills you can apply towards studies you haven't yet ventured into; your aptitude for new subjects; the major you choose and the specific classes you select; and even external factors such as how quickly you can adapt to a new living and learning environment (especially if you're attending a residential college).

In the United States the majority of colleges have a liberal arts curriculum, which encompasses an expansive range of subjects in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics that are designed to supply you with knowledge to make you become a more fully educated person rather than exclusively focusing on subjects that are specific to your chosen professional field. It's common to spend your first year completing what are commonly known as GERs (General Education Requirements) and prerequisites for your major. As an example, at my college everyone is required to take three courses in writing and rhetoric because "words are the vehicles for thought, and clear thinking requires facility in writing and speech." The first two required courses are more general, focused on English prose. The final class in the sequence is a WIM (Writing in Major) where you learn how to write in the style typical for your chosen field. One of my best friends was taking university-level math and science classes starting in the 9th grade - he's a genius in STEM - but only took the basic English and history classes, so he struggled far more with having to write 20+ page papers in a short time period. He also found philosophical classes more difficult. But for him the Applied Quantitative Reasoning requirements were a breeze; since STEM isn't my forte they were harder for me. We're all required to take multiple courses in Scientific Method and Analysis, and some students who did not take demanding science classes like AP Biology, Chemistry or Physics in high school struggle. We're all required to take two years of a modern foreign language or pass exams to prove fluency. For many international students, this is often the easiest to cross off the list since they're already bilingual. For students who've never taken a rigorous foreign language class in high school, it can be more challenging. And of course it also depends on the language you choose. I'm currently taking Russian and it's slaying my brain, haha. Though the specific General Education requirements vary by college, it's quite common to require foreign language study, math, science, English. Some even require physical education classes and art.

In contrast, in many other countries you immediately pursue studies that are specifically relevant to your field. This is advantageous in that you are more at liberty to only choose classes that are within your set of strengths. The downside is that there's more pressure to quickly choose your major.

Since you are still exploring colleges, I recommend that you look on the admission sites for more information about the expected high school preparation to give you a better idea. Some, especially state universities, have specific requirements, whereas others merely have recommendations. At some colleges those who haven't fulfilled the requirements can still be admitted on the condition they take specific classes.

As for how long it takes to complete your degree, this is also very much dependent on factors such as your major, since have far more elaborate requirements than others, and whether you can transfer in credit from dual enrollment classes, AP exams, and the like. Public universities tend to be more generous with how much credit they permit you to transfer in, with some allowing up to two full years of courses. Private schools generally limit it to one year, and they vary in what they accept. Some will allow you to take summer GER classes at local community colleges (that are significantly more affordable) and transfer them in, others do not.

God saves · May 1, 2019

Stanfordella said:
Congratulations on being thisclose to the finish line for your high school education!

We just had Admit Weekend at my college and many prospective freshmen asked current students variations of this question. The answers were divergent, as unique as the respondents. There are so many variables, such as the breadth and rigor of your high school studies and how well they equipped you not just with specific education but with skills you can apply towards studies you haven't yet ventured into; your aptitude for new subjects; the major you choose and the specific classes you select; and even external factors such as how quickly you can adapt to a new living and learning environment (especially if you're attending a residential college).

In the United States the majority of colleges have a liberal arts curriculum, which encompasses an expansive range of subjects in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics that are designed to supply you with knowledge to make you become a more fully educated person rather than exclusively focusing on subjects that are specific to your chosen professional field. It's common to spend your first year completing what are commonly known as GERs (General Education Requirements) and prerequisites for your major. As an example, at my college everyone is required to take three courses in writing and rhetoric because "words are the vehicles for thought, and clear thinking requires facility in writing and speech." The first two required courses are more general, focused on English prose. The final class in the sequence is a WIM (Writing in Major) where you learn how to write in the style typical for your chosen field. One of my best friends was taking university-level math and science classes starting in the 9th grade - he's a genius in STEM - but only took the basic English and history classes, so he struggled far more with having to write 20+ page papers in a short time period. He also found philosophical classes more difficult. But for him the Applied Quantitative Reasoning requirements were a breeze; since STEM isn't my forte they were harder for me. We're all required to take multiple courses in Scientific Method and Analysis, and some students who did not take demanding science classes like AP Biology, Chemistry or Physics in high school struggle. We're all required to take two years of a modern foreign language or pass exams to prove fluency. For many international students, this is often the easiest to cross off the list since they're already bilingual. For students who've never taken a rigorous foreign language class in high school, it can be more challenging. And of course it also depends on the language you choose. I'm currently taking Russian and it's slaying my brain, haha. Though the specific General Education requirements vary by college, it's quite common to require foreign language study, math, science, English. Some even require physical education classes and art.

In contrast, in many other countries you immediately pursue studies that are specifically relevant to your field. This is advantageous in that you are more at liberty to only choose classes that are within your set of strengths. The downside is that there's more pressure to quickly choose your major.

Since you are still exploring colleges, I recommend that you look on the admission sites for more information about the expected high school preparation to give you a better idea. Some, especially state universities, have specific requirements, whereas others merely have recommendations. At some colleges those who haven't fulfilled the requirements can still be admitted on the condition they take specific classes.

As for how long it takes to complete your degree, this is also very much dependent on factors such as your major, since have far more elaborate requirements than others, and whether you can transfer in credit from dual enrollment classes, AP exams, and the like. Public universities tend to be more generous with how much credit they permit you to transfer in, with some allowing up to two full years of courses. Private schools generally limit it to one year, and they vary in what they accept. Some will allow you to take summer GER classes at local community colleges (that are significantly more affordable) and transfer them in, others do not.

Thank you for the information.

Go Braves · May 6, 2019

Well now a lot of that depends on what you're majoring in. With my major oh heck yes college is much more difficult than HS. I didn't slouch in HS either. Now if you were majoring in say music or something, I suspect it wouldn't be all that much harder.

Cimorene · Sep 13, 2019

I went to a really academically intense HS. The same one as Ella who wrote post 21 actually. It's run by a college so the classes are college level, taught college style. For me university hasn't been that much harder than HS but that's only bc my HS was hard. I think it'd really depend on how much prep you got in HS for college work. And how on top of stuff you are, bc the worst is when you let a great big pile grow then you're like majorly stressed out plus trying to deal with hard work.

gabriellaaaaa · Apr 23, 2020

I'm currently a college student so hope this is helpful. For me, high school was a lot harder since I didn't like being forced to wake up at 6AM every day (am a huge night owl) and having back-to-back classes for like 7 hours, followed by a ton of after-school clubs and homework. College is a lot more flexible that way which is really nice. The caveat though is, if you don't stay on top of things in college and let the freedom get to you it's very easy to fall behind and put yourself in a bad situation academically. Another factor is the kind of background you're coming in with and the school you're going to (e.g. an ivy league will most likely be more difficult than a state school, but neither will be easy of course).

Skye Jeong · Aug 20, 2020

Like others mentioned, it's usually dependent on the university and track/degree you're planning to get. Usually people are able to finish within 3-4 years, but some degrees, especially if they're more technical in nature, could take longer.

When going to college, it would be helpful to try to find a community of Christians so that you can grow in faith and help each other stay accountable for faith and for studies! That's what really helped me get through university.

Aras Bulut · Apr 26, 2021

University teaches you how to live and interact with people. To communicate and negotiate. There's a lot of work to be done psychologically. I think it's harder than counting examples. But it's a very great experience.

Natto · Jun 16, 2021

In high school, my grade was upward trend and I finally make it into college. But in college I was in STEM major, I almost flunked out of school at my second year. I think after all, I am not very good at logical induction, which STEM require a lot. I was forced to choose between either dropping out of university or switching out STEM major. My friend chose former, I chose the latter. After switching out STEM major into liberal art, I found my workload much more pleasant than before.. My grade has significantly improved to at least B- level rather than a straight Fail in STEM, and I somehow meet minimum required accumulated GPAs for graduation and successfully graduate.

While in college, I ever thought that high school was easier than college in term of material and difficulty of content.
STEM is just unbearably challenging to me and unfortunately I have to let go of it.

In mid life, because of some personal issues, I came back to school again and was able to experience and tell difference between Eastern and Western education system. Because Asian College start some of professional school earlier and some of professional school is the direct first entry , bachelor degree , there is sometimes much lower need for harsh marking scheme for students to compete for gpa or lower need to discern level of difference among college students

After returning to Asian college, I received average of A, B, A. in respective year and I myself was shock the by result, or was perhaps more shocked by leniency of marking scheme in first year and was like high school again. . The degree I pursue is solely based on memorization. Evert-hing is just based on recitation and memorization of content and material and able to drop down while in exam.

I think it sometimes has to take into consideration of location of institution attending and major pursued as well.

justme6272 · Jul 9, 2021

God saves said:
As a final year high school student, I am curious about how much harder is college/university than high school and whether it usually takes undergraduate university students to graduate with a Bachelor's in 3-4 years or longer?

It depends on the college. Some are just glorified high schools. Some are private, where you can "pay your fees, get your C's."
All are businesses that exist to keep the staff employed. Four years is normal if you don't change your major, run out of money, sit out a semester, or attend summer school. Having to work a job can also alter your plans. Don't change schools if you can help it unless you love ordering transcripts.

DragonFox91 · Feb 10, 2022

Freshman year was all a repeat of what you learned in high school. I thought it was simple.

Then it gradually got tougher after that. I had to work my butt off junior & senior year to maintain the GPA I had built up my first 2 years, but my major was Accounting. Some of my peers in other majors said it got easier for them as it went on b/c they had more major classes. I found it the opposite.

What usually makes college tough for people is finding balance between having freedom they didn’t in high school, as well as starting to launch their career. Most students are working part-time jobs, searching for & then doing internships, building their resume, & sometimes even raising a family.

Tokyo · Mar 14, 2022

I don't find it difficult but I must say you will be required to write a lot of essays and research papers.

Northwest. · Mar 15, 2022

College isn't difficult I think it is easier and provides more resources for students. There are many options such as traditional on-campus or online courses for those balancing work and school. Colleges require students to write essays and research papers. It would be wise to use the free resources colleges offer like joining a study group or finding a one on one tutor to help with your studies. Professors want you to do your best and will help you along the way. I recommend visiting ratemyprofessor.com before picking any classes.

Daniel Marsh · Apr 11, 2022

God saves said:
One of the reasons I started this thread is because I'm not certain about whether to go to college/university next year or not (alternatives may include employment (possibly with part-time study) and/or 1-2 gap year(s)).

Start with Community College to get up to speed.

Daniel Marsh · Apr 11, 2022

thumbs up all

God saves · Jun 6, 2022

Tokyo said:
I don't find it difficult but I must say you will be required to write a lot of essays and research papers.

Do you know whether this is the case for all college programs or degrees or whether there are some college programs or degrees that don't require as much essay writing or research papers?

DragonFox91 · Jun 6, 2022

I went to a public state university & minored in Business & most papers only had to be 2-3 pages.

My major was Accounting. Not really any papers but lots & lots of math.

PloverWing · Jun 6, 2022

God saves said:
Do you know whether this is the case for all college programs or degrees or whether there are some college programs or degrees that don't require as much essay writing or research papers?

In general, the humanities (English, philosophy, religion, history, etc.) tend to require more long papers than the STEM fields (mathematics, computer science, chemistry, physics, etc.).

Almost all fields require some writing, though. Even in math and the sciences, it's important to be able to express the results of your experiment or proof in a way that other people can understand.

VeronicaVeronica · Jun 6, 2022

My comment to your original question is based on my observations and direct questioning over that last 4 years (from 2018-2022) of both private and public high school seniors, that I know in my area, who have applied to and/or transitioned into 4 year D1 universities, both private and public. Only 30 students, that I have personally kept up with. The majority are bio-medical majors and engineering majors. Two political science students. I did this little fact finding in preparation for when my child would face these hurdles.

Today private school students in my area have a harder time being accepted into their dream schools, as universities make no secret about giving public school students priority at this time. Universities know private school families can afford to
/ or will put up with waiting to get into their school of choice, and so they direct many private school students, who are interested in bio medical and engineering, to a 1st year lesser campus under that university system's umbrella and are given 2nd year automatic transfer status. These institutions know that many freshman students they were required to accept for those two popular majors have a high probability of NOT making it to year two, thus making the space available for these private school automatic transfers for their sophomore year.

Public school students have an easier time getting into their dream schools. The students I know made great grades in public high school, and yet for the most part struggle and report they felt they were ill prepared for the work load.

Based on the very small group of kids I keep up with, private school students, generally, do not struggle in their university studies until they reach junior year.

Whether you are a private or public hs student take full advantage of tutoring opportunities that your university makes available.

...and find a church and go!!! Good luck!

Web Tempo · Jun 11, 2022

Aras Bulut said:
University teaches you how to live and interact with people. To communicate and negotiate. There's a lot of work to be done psychologically. I think it's harder than counting examples. But it's a very great experience.

Agree. #1 advice, take advantage of all the opportunities you find

tturt · Jun 11, 2022

Lots of good info already posted.

Applying to a university by their deadlines may not automatically guarantee acceptance into that institution.

Noticed some mentioned taking longer than 4 years for various reasons to complete the degree. When you enroll, the current issue of the university's catalog is a vital book for you. It includes how long you have to finish classes to obtain a degree before the criteria could possibly change. However, if you lack successful completion of one specific class, you can request an exception but I wouldnt count on an appeal.

Try to attend classes especially in the beginning of the term to get your course syllabus. It will state what your instructor expects - assignments can be deleted but there shouldn't be any additions. However, encourage prudence if going to the dean concerning a professor. If "reserved library materials" will need to be viewed, know some folks steal them or remove them fr9m the library for a few days. Also, would keep a copy of all assignments submitted.

Additionally, if you're a scholarship recipient, be aware of the conditions such as what grades have to be maintained or the sum could have to be repaid even if it's your last educational term.

Find a church is good advice already posted.

How much harder is college/university than high school?

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