The difference between High School and College.
Beginning college studies is like starting an entirely new life. One would think that college was simply an academic extension of high school, but that is far from the truth. The commencement of one life marks the end of another life. It is a time where the previous life of a high schooler ceases to exist, and is replaced by a different world. In fact, the major changes a student goes through are more indicative of growing up than they are of getting smarter. The following paragraphs explore some of the differences student face when moving on from high school to college.
Often, students nearing their high school graduation wonder what new challenges will be waiting for them in college. When the days of college finally arrive, they realize that these challenges are major and will alter their lives forever. From the first semester, right from the start, the college freshman notices a drastic difference in terms of personal freedom. For one thing, most college students do not continue to live with their parents. College is a time when the former high schooler develops a greater level of independence. The student grows and matures, moves her belongings and finds a new place to live. Sometimes, she finds a roommate, someone who is not a member of the family. Moving doesn't just have to be leaving the home in search of a new one. Sometimes students make an even bigger transition than simply leaving the house. In the United States it is very common for students to leave their home state, heading to a university farther away from home. This is the ultimate in starting over. For example, I moved from France to begin my college career in not just a new city or state or region, but a new country, on a new continent, twelve thousand kilometers from high school. I did this to begin a new life here in San Diego. And wow I have come a long way from my days of French high school to my days here in American college.