For young people switching from high school to college is a very important step in students' lives due to the enormous change they have to undergo in order to be successful at obtaining their degree. This essay will discuss the similarities and the differences between the academic material taught in both institutions, life for the student and other relevant factors that might affect the student either positively or negatively.
The biggest difference between high school and university is that one is mandatory and the other one isn't. In most western countries there is some sort of minimum compulsory attendance to high school. In the United States it is mandatory to finish high school at an approximate age of sixteen. Going to college is totally optional but the majority of people choose to, around 63% of graduating high school students enroll in a university. However many students decide to get a degree even though they do not want to because they either think it is necessary or otherwise they will end up working for minimum wage ten hours a day or because their parents force them to. .
Another huge difference between them is time management, in high school one cannot structure its own time as he does not have that choice. The student will have classes at the time they are assigned to him while in college students have the choice to manage their time as they want because for the most part they can choose to have classes at a certain time which best fits their timetable. This is a huge advantage because this way students can sleep more if they wish, make their classes compatible with their work and with other extracurricular activities they might be involved in. Roux comments on the sudden change for students, "Students experience fixed schedules for some 12 years and then within a 90 day span from the end of their senior year to the first day of college classes they must make a drastic change to a schedule that is more flexible and unpredictable.