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High School Teachers Compared to College Professors

December 01, 2022

​You hear it everywhere in high school: things are gonna get a lot harder in college. You skip a class one day and your teacher says, “Your college professors aren’t gonna tolerate that.” You hand in an assignment late and your teacher says, “Your college professors won’t accept that.” They make professors seem like scary, totalitarian rulers of the classroom who give you a zero if you make a tiny mistake. I’m here to tell you that it’s as far from the truth as you can get.

​They do the same things your high school teachers do: teach class, give you homework, hand out quizzes and exams, make you do group projects, etc. They have times during the week when you can go to their office and ask a question you have about the homework. If you email them to say you won’t be in class because you aren’t feeling well, they’ll say, “No worries! Let me know if you need lecture notes. Get better!” They are humans too, and they understand that you have your own life outside of the classroom. Plus, you don’t have to raise your hand and ask to use the bathroom during class.

​The only big difference between high school and college classes is the amount of time you’re spending on homework. Classes tend to meet less frequently in college, with lengthier homework assignments. The learning is far more self-led, and your success in a class largely depends on how much time you’re willing to spend doing the work for it.

College professors are there to help you succeed. No matter how many questions you ask in class or how much time you spend in their office, they are always willing to help. And who knows: maybe one of them will become a valuable mentor to you.

​And yes, they give out candy on Halloween. :)

–Kat Tobits