Differences Between High School and College

What’s the Difference?

“Things are going to be sooooo different when you get to college!” Maybe your student has told you they’ve heard that a lot recently. Or maybe not – maybe it’s just something you have been wondering if your student will be experiencing as a COL 103 (College Skills) student and beyond.

Well, yes, things are going to be different. Here are 3 examples – and what you can do to help your student (and yourself) adjust and maximize new opportunities.

1.Different amounts of time in class – more responsibility.

High school classes may be 90 minutes, five days a week. College classes may be scheduled differently. Maybe 1 hour, 3 times a week. Or a hybrid schedule – some class time, some online time. Besides the schedule, here is how college classes can differ from high school classes:

• Much more personal responsibility is expected of the student.
• Multiple assignments and due dates require students to apply effective time management skills.
• Heavy workload in college classes is the norm – homework, reading, research, projects, papers, study time for tests, etc.
• Students are expected to managing opportunities (and meet requirements) that affect the final grade – like submitting work on time and earning test grades without re-test opportunities for a higher grade, etc.

What can you do? Ask your student to explain the course syllabus to you. Together, talk about due dates and how your student plans to keep themselves organized. Ask your student about the instructor’s policy regarding late assignments – or whether extra credit is possible to boost a final grade. (Many college instructors do not accept assignments after the due date. And many do not offer re-tests or extra credit opportunities.)

2. Less parental involvement and access.

High school environments offer lots of ways for parents to be involved and informed. College environments are…different. Here are a few of those ways:

• When a student reaches age 18 or is admitted to Tri-County, regardless of age, privacy rights (through the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act or FERPA) transfer to the student. Parents may obtain what’s called directory information (e.g., enrollment status, awards received, participation in recognized activities) without the written consent of their student.
• Parents may request non-directory information (e.g., grades, GPA, balance due) by obtaining consent from their child, available via the Student Forms tile in the MyTCTC portal. (The Registrar’s Office will provide information to anyone the student lists as having consent to their file (or portions of their file).
• It’s important to know that even with consent, colleges do not have unified portals like Schoology or PowerSchool where parents can log in and easily access information.
• Questions, problems, or concerns regarding a course, assignment, advising, etc. should be addressed by the student, not the parent.

What can you do? Talk with your student about the communication/access differences between high school and college. Help them learn to advocate for themselves with an instructor, advisor, College official, etc. (Your student will learn how to do this in COL 103 – ask them to share with you what they’ve learned.) Also talk with your student about sharing information with you and/or whether educational consent is appropriate and how they should go about granting you access to their records.

3. More diverse cocurricular opportunities and support services.

High schools and school districts provide many activities and services for TCTC students. Colleges expand opportunities through diverse types of student services, activities, and support. Here are a few TCTC examples:

• Free course tutoring, free personalized career counseling, free supplemental instruction, and free workshops focused on a host of success topics like managing money, thriving in on-line courses, conquering test anxiety, among others.
• Cocurricular learning opportunities like the guest speaker series that features interesting lectures on history, culture, and current events; beyond campus learning and study abroad experiences; environmental activities/events in the tri-county area; math flex lab for extra support with technology-based mathematics applications; and many more.
• Services like the food pantry, emergency fund, community referrals for mental health, physical health and well-being, among others.
• Activities through student clubs and organizations like service projects, participating in thematic workshops at the state level, coordinating events like art shows, success coaching for leadership, among others.

What can you do? Take a self-guided tour of Tri-County’s website and see for yourself the vast array of services and activities available to students. Your student will also learn about what is available to support or enhance the learning experience during the COL 103 course. Ask your student which activities/events sound interesting to them – and why. Sit down together and explore the events postings (your student can log in with a TCTC email address). Talk about why it is important to participate in activities like the ones posted – and not just focus solely on coursework – in order to benefit from the “whole college experience”.

Sources:

How Different are College and High School article on College Info Geek

Catalog - Student Records and Rights

Beyond the Classroom

Registrar Spring 2026 (202520) Semester Memo – COMBINED, p. 13-14