One of the first things that comes to mind when I consider the differences between high school and college is the course work. In high school, there was always an overabundance of assignments due at all times. In contrast, I’ve noticed that for most of my classes in college the grades are mostly based on the exams, with some small assignments sprinkled in here and there. There are pros and cons to both. In high school the heavy workload was a lot to handle but it also meant that you could do worse on tests and still keep a good grade. On the other hand, if you mess up an exam in college there’s little to help your grade stay afloat. Personally I prefer college, I trust myself to do well on exams and I prefer being able to focus primarily on studying.
Another big difference between high school and college is the independence. In high school basically all decisions have to go through a teacher, or a counselor, or your parents. In college you may get help and guidance from your advisor, but ultimately it’s all up to you. There’s freedom that comes with that but there’s also responsibility. I know that in high school I would get hounded by teachers for late work or for progress on assignments, that’s not the case in college. It’s completely up to you to get your work done. There’s also the matter of attendance. For most of my college courses, attendance isn’t actually required, as opposed to high school. This means it’s up to you to hold yourself responsible to go to class. Overall, I prefer the freedom college permits by a large margin; I like being trusted to make my own decisions, good or bad.