Beginning your journey to post-secondary education is a new and exciting adventure. But the differences between high school and university may leave you wondering how well you will adjust to university life. 

Don’t freak out! Different and new doesn't have to mean scary and difficult. University classes take a bit of getting used to and knowing what to expect can help with that transition. 

Check out this blog post to get a heads-up on the next chapter of your education! 

Class size

Before we get into some crucial differences, you'll probably experience this change on your very first day. In high school, you likely had the same classes every day with the same thirty or so people—and most likely knew everyone.

When you attend your first lecture, this will definitely not be the case. Whether it be online or in-person, the main difference will be the 200 other students there with you. First-year classes are usually the largest in size, having roughly 100 to 250 students. Chances are, most of these faces will be complete strangers to you—for now!

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But don’t be nervous! Remember that your peers probably feel the same way as you do. After a few weeks, everyone will fall into a routine of where they like to sit, and you can make friends with your neighbour.

Length of class

Having graduated from university, I had to ponder for a minute on just how short high school classes were. Around an hour if I recall correctly; now I look back and wonder how we ever got anything done.

The average university lecture is three hours, but don’t fret—you'll adjust to it really fast. I remember my first lectures seeming a little lengthy, but once you get used to them, you'll find that those hours fly by.

Not every class will be this long either—tutorials and labs are much shorter. You may also find that some classes don’t last the entire three hours anyway—that’s a lot of talking for the professor.

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Assessments

In high school, you likely had tests every week or so covering only a chapter or two of material, and they were probably worth very little of your grade; this is a major difference compared to university.

The normal design of university classes consists of a midterm, final exam and some kind of project or assignment. The weight of these will change depending on the class, but each usually makes up around 30 per cent of your grade.

For some, this may seem like a terrible idea because it puts a lot of pressure on you to do very well on every task. While that may be true, it's important to remember that every test or assignment is part of a larger grade and you'll still have multiple opportunities to succeed. 

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Once you get used to how exams and assignments are conducted, you'll usually find a flow that allows you to keep up and do well. Your professors will likely say this a hundred times, but make sure to constantly check Canvas for course syllabi and other updates.

Class schedule

You'll also notice a difference in your academic schedule when you plan out your courses using the class preview. Leaving high school, you'll likely be well adjusted to the 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday schedule. You also likely had the same classes every day.

In university, most classes run on a specific day of the week as opposed to every day—that’s why they're much longer. Also, you won’t necessarily have classes at the same time every day. One day you could have class at 8 a.m. and the next day have back-to-back classes starting at 2 p.m.

If you get lucky, you might even have a day off—for studying of course (wink wink).

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University is a big change and can seem daunting at first, but don’t let it overwhelm you. It just takes some getting used to. If you want to learn more about university life, check out some of the resources available through Student Life.

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