ADAPTING TO UNIVERSITY

Understanding University is a
High school was a some of the LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
TEACHING ENVIRONMENT important in which
in which you take responsibility for
you acquired facts and differences thinking through and
skills. between high applying what you have
school and learned.
university may
help you achieve a smoother transition…

FOLLOWING THE RULES IN CHOOSING RESPONSIBLY AT

HIGH SCHOOL
Your time was structured by others.
You could rely on parents and teachers to
remind you of your responsibilities and to
guide you in setting priorities.
Guiding principle:
You were usually told what to do and
corrected if your behaviour was out of
line.
UNIVERSITY
You manage large amounts of your own
time.
You must balance your responsibilities and
set priorities. You will face moral and ethical
decisions you have never faced before.
Guiding principle:
You are expected to take
responsibility for what you do and
don't do, as well as for the
consequences of your decisions.

GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES SUCCEEDING IN UNIVERSITY CLASSES

Classes generally had no more than 35
Classes may number 100 students or more.
students.
You may have studied outside school as little
You need to study at least 2 to 3 hours
as 0 to 2 hours a week, and this may have
outside of class for each hour in lectures.
been mostly last-minute test preparation.
You seldom needed to read anything more
You need to review lecture notes and text
than once, and sometimes listening in class
material regularly.
was enough.
You were expected to read short You are assigned substantial amounts of
assignments which were then discussed, reading and writing which may not be
and often re-taught, in class. directly addressed in class.
Guiding principle:
Guiding principle:
It’s up to you to read and understand
You were usually told in class what
the assigned material; lectures and
you needed to learn from assigned
assignments proceed from the assump-
readings.
tion that you’ve already done so.

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 HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS
Teachers checked your completed
homework.
Teachers reminded you of your incomplete
work.
Teachers approached you if they believed
you needed assistance.
Teachers were often available for
conversation before, during, or after class.
Teachers are trained in teaching methods to
assist in imparting knowledge to students.
Teachers provided you with information you
missed when you were absent.
Teachers presented material to help you
understand the material in the textbook.
Teachers often wrote information on the
board to be copied into your notebooks.
Teachers imparted knowledge and facts,
sometimes drawing direct connections and
leading you through the thinking process.
Teachers often took time to remind you of
assignments and due dates.
Teachers carefully monitored class
attendance.
Guiding principle:
High school is a teaching environment
in which you acquire facts and skills.
UNIVERSITY LECTURERS
Lecturers may not always check completed
homework, but they will assume you can
perform the same or similar tasks in tests.
Lecturers may not remind you of incomplete
work.
Lecturers are usually open and helpful, but
most expect you to initiate contact if you
need assistance.
Lecturers expect and want you to attend
their scheduled office hours.
Lecturers have been trained as experts in
their particular areas of research.
Lecturers expect you to get from classmates
any notes from classes you missed.
Lecturers may not follow the textbook.
Instead, to amplify the text, they may give
illustrations, provide background information,
or discuss research about the topic you are
studying. Or they may expect you to relate
the classes to the textbook readings.
Lecturers may lecture non-stop, expecting
you to identify the important points in your
notes. When lecturers write on the board, it
may be to amplify the lecture, not to
summarise it. Good notes are essential.
Lecturers expect you to think about and
synthesise seemingly unrelated topics.
Lecturers expect you to consult the course
work scheme. The work scheme spells out
exactly what is expected of you, when it is
due, and how you will be assessed.
Lecturers may not formally take roll, but they
are still likely to know whether or not you are
attending classes.
Guiding principle:
University is a learning environment in
which you take responsibility for
thinking through and applying what
you have learned.
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 TESTS IN HIGH SCHOOL
Testing was frequent and covered small
amounts of material.
Makeup tests were often available.
Teachers frequently rearranged test dates
to avoid conflict with school events.
Teachers frequently conducted revision
sessions, pointing out the most important
concepts.
Guiding principle:
Mastery was usually seen as the ability
to reproduce what you were taught in
the form in which it was presented to
you, or to solve the kinds of problems
you were shown how to solve.
MARKS IN HIGH SCHOOL
Marks were given for most assigned work.
Consistently good homework marks may
have raised your overall mark when your
test marks were low.
Initial test marks, especially when they were
low, may not have had an adverse effect on
your final mark.
Guiding principle:
"Effort counts." Courses are usually
structured to reward a "good-faith
effort."
TESTS AT UNIVERSITY
Testing is usually infrequent and may be
cumulative, covering large amounts of
material. You, not the lecturer, need to
organise the material to prepare for the test.
A particular course may have only 2 or 3
tests in a semester.
Makeup tests are seldom an option.
Lecturers in different courses usually
schedule tests without regard to the
demands of other courses or outside
activities.
Lecturers rarely offer revision sessions, and
when they do, they expect you to be an
active participant – one who comes
prepared with questions.
Guiding principle:
Mastery is often seen as the ability to
apply what you've learned to new
situations or to solve new kinds of
problems.
MARKS AT UNIVERSITY
Not all assigned work may be marked.
Marks for tests and examinations usually
provide most of the course mark.
Watch out for your first tests. These are
usually "wake-up calls" to let you know what
is expected – but they also may count for a
substantial part of your course mark. You
may be shocked when you get your marks.
Guiding principle:
"Results count." Though "good-faith
effort" is important in regard to the lect-
urer's willingness to help you achieve
good results, it will not substitute for
results in the assessment process.
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 HOW TO MAKE THE TRANSITION TO UNIVERSITY
 Take control of your own education: think of yourself as a
student (one who studies) rather than a pupil (one who is taught).
 Learn to approach and use your lecturers; they are an important
resource. Treat them respectfully, but remember: you are no
longer a child.
 Be assertive. Create your own support systems, and seek help
as soon as you realise you may need it.
 Take control of your time. Plan ahead to satisfy academic
obligations and make room for everything else.
 Think beyond the moment: set goals for the semester, the year,
your university career. Most of all, avoid falling into the deadly
trap of purely test-driven behaviour.

This document is based on material prepared initially by Old Dominion University and SMU.
Adapted by Gregor Leigh.
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