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Personal Freedom in High School
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Personal Freedom in College
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High school is mandatory and free
(unless you choose other options).
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College is voluntary and classes are affordable.
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Your time is usually structured by others.
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You manage your own time.
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You can count on parents and teachers to remind you of your responsibilities and to guide you in setting priorities.
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You must balance your responsibilities and set priorities.
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High School Classes
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College Classes
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Each day you proceed from one class directly to another.
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You often have hours between classes; class times vary throughout the day and evening.
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You spend 6 hours each day—30 hours each week—in class.
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You spend 12 to 16 hours each week in class.
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Most of your classes are arranged for you.
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You arrange your own schedule in consultation with your academic advisor. Schedules tend to look lighter than they really are.
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Teachers carefully monitor attendance.
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Instructors may not formally take roll, but they’re still likely to know whether or not you attended.
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Classes generally have no more than 35 students.
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Classes may number 100 students or more.
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You’re provided with textbooks at little or no expense.
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You need to budget substantial funds for textbooks, which usually cost more than $200 each semester.
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High School Teachers
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College Instructors
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Teachers check your completed homework
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Instructors may not always check completed work, but they’ll assume you can perform the same tasks on tests
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Teachers approach you if they believe you need assistance.
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Instructors are usually open and helpful, but most expect you to initiate contact if you need assistance.
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Teachers are often available for conversation before, during or after class.
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Instructors expect and want you to attend their scheduled office hours.
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Teachers provide you with information you missed when you were absent.
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Instructors expect you to get from classmates any notes from classes you missed.
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Teachers often write information on the board to be copied in your notes.
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Instructors may lecture nonstop, expecting you to identify the important points in your notes. Good notes are a MUST!
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Teachers often take time to remind you of assignments and due dates.
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Instructors expect you to read, save and consult the course syllabus (outline); the syllabus spells out exactly what is expected of you, when it’s due and how you’ll be graded.
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Studying in High School
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Studying in College
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You may study outside of class as little as 0-2 hours a week.
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You need to study at least 2 to 3 hours outside of class for each hour in class.
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You’re expected to read short assignments that are discussed and often, retaught in class.
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You’re assigned huge amounts of reading and writing that may never be directly addressed in class.
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You’ll usually be told in class what you need to learn from reading assignments.
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It’s up to YOU to read and understand the assigned material. Lectures and assignments generally proceed with the assumption you’ve already done so.
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Tests in High School
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Tests in College
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Testing is often frequent and covers small amounts of materials.
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Testing is usually infrequent and cumulative, covering large amounts of material.
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Makeup tests are often available.
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Makeup tests are seldom an option. If they are, you need to request them.
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Teachers frequently arrange tests dates to avoid conflict with school events.
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Instructors in different courses usually schedule tests without regard to the demands of other courses or outside activities.
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Teachers frequently schedule review sessions, pointing out the most important concepts.
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Instructors rarely offer review sessions, and when they do, they expect you to come armed with questions.
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Grades in High School
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Grades in College
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Grades are given for most assigned work.
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Grades may not be provided for all assigned work.
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Consistently good homework grades may help raises your overall grade when test grades are low.
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Grades on tests and major papers usually provide most of the course grade.
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Extra credit projects are often available to help you raise your grade.
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Extra credit projects cannot, generally speaking, be used to raise a grade in a college course.
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You may graduate as long as you’ve passed all required courses with a grade of D or higher.
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You may graduate only if your average meets the departmental standard—typically 2.0 or C.
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Effort counts.
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Results count.
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