The semester is almost over; in fact I only have five school
days left before exams start. In some ways it feels like I have been a
university student for a really long time, but there are still times when I can’t
believe that I am not living at home anymore. Here is a list of the top five
differences between high school and university classes.
1.) Marks on Tests
The only comment I have to make about marks is the lack of
them; my chemistry midterm was 16 multiple choice questions, giving a total of
12 marks, and was worth 20% of my final grade.
2.) Time
Time management is the key to doing well in your classes, it
is not hard to understand the course content if you had the time to sit down
and study for hours… but you don’t. University classes are filled with
readings, tutorials, online quizzes, assignments, lectures, and pre-laboratory work
(and I am not even in engineering). Being able to manage your time is crucial
to staying on top of all the work there is to do, and ensure you have time to
study (nothing is worse than having an assignment due and test on the same day,
especially if you don’t start either well before the deadline).
3.) Reminders
Remember in elementary school you had to take your agenda home
each night and get your parents to sign it so they knew what was going on in
your classes? What about the constant reminders from high school teachers about
the test you have in a week? Reminders in university don’t happen as often. It isn’t
because your professors won’t tell you about a midterm, but they expect you to
stay organized so you also know it is fast approaching. Make sure you stay
organized so you don’t forget about upcoming deadlines.
4.) Multiple Choice
Every midterm I have written this semester (and the majority
of my upcoming finals) has only multiple choice. Gone are the days of part
marks for chemistry equations, and giving a short answer with four or five
sentences restating the only point you actually remember about the topic. You either
know it, fill in the correct bubble and get the mark… or you don’t.
5.) Breaks
Mondays and Wednesdays between 10:00 and 12:00 I go to the 6th
floor of Dana Porter Library. The two hour break is spent, Tim Horton’s coffee
in hand reviewing and writing out my notes. Having a few hours in between classes
is great; also, knowing I only have a bit of time before I have another class
means I don’t become frustrated with the
work I am doing.
Even though there are lots of changes in university classes,
if you stay organized and enjoy the classes you are taking you won’t have any
complaints.
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