Dual Credit

High School vs. College

HOW Dual Credit Courses ARE Different from High School Courses

College differs from high school in many ways. The biggest difference is in how you manage your time. In high school, your time is mostly managed by other people—your parents, teachers, counselors and other adults. In college, you will be responsible for keeping track of your assignments, due dates and upcoming tests.

Here are some of the key differences.

In High School:

You must go to high school
Others structure your time
Teachers remind you of responsibilities

In College:

College is voluntary
You structure your time
You must balance your responsibilities

In High School:

Homework may take as little as two hours a week
Assignments are discussed and often re-taught in class
Your teachers tell you what you need to learn from assignments

In College:

Expect to study two to three hours a week for each class hour
Assignments may not be directly addressed in class
You must read and understand the assigned material for yourself

In High School:

Frequent tests covering smaller amounts of material
Makeup tests are often possible
Test dates are often rearranged to avoid conflict with events or other courses
Learning goals typically focus on the ability to reproduce what you were taught or to solve the kinds of problems you were shown how to solve

In College:

Infrequent tests that may cover a great deal of material
Makeup tests are rarely possible
Tests are scheduled without regard to the demands of other courses or activities
Learning goals typically focus on applying what you have learned to new situations or solving new kinds of problems

In High School:

Given for most assigned work
Good homework grades may help raise overall grade when test grades are low
Extra credit is often available to boost your grade
Test grades at the start of the semester may not affect final grade

In College:

May not be given for all work
Grades on tests and major papers usually provide most of the course grade
Extra credit is not typically offered
Initial tests are often used as “wake-up calls” for expectations

In High School:

You spend 30 hours in class every week
The school year is 36 weeks long; some classes extend over both semesters and some do not
Teachers carefully monitor attendance
You are provided with textbooks at little or no cost

In College:

You spend 12 to 16 hours in classes each week
The academic year is traditionally divided into two separate 16-week semesters
Professors may or may not take attendance
You will have to pay for textbooks

In High School:

Review your homework
Remind you about incomplete work
Approach you if they think you need help
Are often available before or after class
Have been trained as teachers
Help you catch up after an absence

In College:

May not always review completed homework
May not remind you of incomplete work
Expect you to ask for help if you need it
Expect you to attend scheduled office hours if you need help or feedback
Have been trained as experts in their academic discipline
Expect you to ask your classmates to help you catch up after an absence