what are the differences between high school and university, more specifically what makes university such a big leap from high school (ex. multiple choice, critical thinking...)?

Well, for starters, you have more courses (5-6 compared to 3-4), and in each course you learn double or triple the material in about 60% of the time (~3 months of classes per term in university compared to ~5 months in high school).

Then, there's the lecture style of learning that some people have trouble with.

Many high schools also really coddle their students and high school grades are severely inflated. Everybody always thinks their school isn't like that, but really, nearly all schools do it to some degree.

There's the social aspects, such as increased independence and being required to take on more responsibility. Many students are too immature to handle it, especially at the beginning.

High Schools don't have as many drugs, sex and parties. High Schools don't have redsuits either.

High school is much more difficult, cuz you have only one source for knowledge, your teacher. And if you had teachers like mine, a few of them did not even know what they were talking about, and taught very poorly. Here, you have a lot of TAs, profs who are experts in the fields, upper years have help sessions, like PHI for physics help, and you get more chance to develop your critical skills as well. If you utilize the resources, getting an 11-12 should NOT be an issue, me myself being an example. My high school physics teacher was a D***, he made me feel like I know nothing, and I cant do shit in my life.., And am getting an 11s and 12s on university physics..

Originally Posted by GeorgeLucas

High Schools don't have as many drugs, sex and parties. High Schools don't have redsuits either.

Well, regarding "drugs, sex and parties", it depends on the high school. I encountered way more people doing drugs in high school than at Mac

Redsuits are definitely unique to Mac though

since there is more material you just need to have great memory

I think a lot of the difficulty of university has to do with the lack of second chances.

In high school, we had lots of small assignments and unit tests that each weren't worth very much. One could do poorly on a couple and still walk away with a good mark. But in university, we tend to have fewer assignments and tests that are worth a lot more. One bad day can have a huge impact on a final mark.

second chances.

MSAF, MSAF, MSAF... with a pinch of MSAF and MSAF on top.

high school is basically a joke compared to uni

in highschool u smack all your courses and in uni you get smacked by all your courses HAAAAAAN

Originally Posted by nJagdev25

high school is basically a joke compared to uni

but how exactly tho???

Originally Posted by HealthSci/Kin

but how exactly tho???

When I was in high school I spent maybe an hour per night doing assignments and lab reports etc. I studied in the car on my way to class or occasionally at lunch if I had a test after it. I was lax. I didnt care. And I did quite well.

Fast forward to university. You will be doing at least 10x the work easy. 6 courses and each course is around the equivalent of 2 harder high school courses.

My first test in university was a for chem. The test was worth 35% percent of our mark. I studied my ass off. I may have studied more for that test than any entire exam period in high school (aka all my exams for a semester). That test was hard as hell and I came out with around a 60% which was incidentally slightly higher than average. And after the test? I was behind in every other course and had to scramble to complete all my assignments and keep up with all the work (which is basically impossible due to the shear amount of work.... at least until you learn to study and prioritize very effectively).

You think you are smart? Top 10% in your school? Congrats you are probably mid pack in your program, if that. If you are breezing through highschool then first year is going to hurt even more since you wont know how to study.

Finally you get to become an adult. You will probably live on your own and make all your own choices. There will be plentiful of alcohol and drugs around you and it is your choice to do it. Your profs wont care about you and a single mistake on a test can cost you the entire course. Handed in an assignment late? Thats -20% if the prof even chooses to accept it. You will jump from toddler to adult in 1 year. It doesnt seem like much but its compounds with everything else.

What makes uni hard? You will find out when you get here. Its not too hard to do well and excel but at the end of it all you will look back and realize just how much you changed and adapted to succeed here.