A Beginner's Guide to University

The Differences Between High School and Uni

	High School	Uni
When and where students learn	Mostly formal study in class.	Lots of independent study outside the classroom.
Time management	Time is arranged and managed for you.	Time management is self-managed.
Class hours	Set hours for class attendance. Fixed timetable.	Depending on your course, contact hours can appear low. Flexible and varied timetable that you arrange yourself.
The amount of feedback students receive	Constant feedback on your progress.	Less frequent feedback.
Different kinds of information	Learning what is already known.	Critical and analytical thinking: extending and speculating on what is known.
Types of assignments	Limited forms of assessment.	Varied forms of assessment.
Amount of contact with teaching staff	Frequent access to teaching staff.	Less frequent access to academic staff.
Kinds of lessons	Face-to-face teaching. Mostly takes place in the classroom.	A range of different classes taught in different ways. Lectures, tutorials, computer-based or online learning, laboratory or field work, sit-down or take-home exams.
Class size	Limited class sizes.	Classes might be very large, especially in first year.
Flexibility	Set and co-ordinated program. What is learned in one subject tends to support things learned in another.	Flexible and variable program. What is learned in different subjects can offer different, even conflicting views.
Opportunity for assessment	Years 11 and 12 build towards a single set of exams.	Continued assessment over three to five years. Building on knowledge.
What is expected from student work	Limited range of acceptable responses to assignments - often indicated by teachers.	Broader range of acceptable responses to assignments. Students have more opportunity to offer their own analysis.
Diversity	Students are all the same age. May live in the same locality. Mostly Australian residents.	Students are from different socioeconomic, age and cultural groups. Lots of international students.