High School Vs College

School is school, no matter what grade you are in!" My cousin who is three years older then I once said to me when he was transitioning from high school to college. In one's lifetime, he or she will go through high school and then possibly go through college. There are many similarities between high school and college such as in both, one is expanding his or her knowledge, there is a classroom atmosphere, and there are teachers who have gone through a lot of schooling. Though there are many similarities, there are also an abundance of differences.

In high school, students start their day at a specific time, and have about six or seven classes a day. During that time they have a specified lunch hour and only have the choice of eating in the cafeteria but students can pack a lunch or get food from the lunch line. While in high school, students have very rigid rules. One rule that students have to obey is that they are not allowed out in the hall after the bell for class to begin has rung. If students are out after that bell, hall monitors will reprimand them and then send the students back to class. Another rule that students have to follow is the dress code. Most dress codes do not allow students to wear belly shirts, short shorts, low cut shirts, or anything that shows undergarments or excessive skin. If students do not obey this rule, they may be given a warning and told to change, or if this is an ongoing problem an authority figure may suspend them from school.

Students in high school normally range in age from 14 to 18 years old. It is a rare occasion when a student is younger or older then this age spectrum. Because of the shorter attention spans that younger students have, the classes tend to be around 60-80 minutes long with a five to ten minute break between each class. This break is so the students can go to their lockers to grab the text books that have been provided for them to use for that school year. Also, if a student were to be sick one day, one of his or her parents or legal guardians would have to call into the school and let the school know that his or her child would not be attending school that day.

In college, one may experience a lot more freedom than he or she experienced in high school. First off, college is not required as high school is. While in college, students get to create their own schedule. One student may go to school four days a week, with one class a day while another student may go to school two days a week with two classes each day. Either way, it is up to the student. Although they get to pick their own schedule, the books once provided from the high school, is the responsibility of the student to purchase them. Another thing that students in college may realize is that there is no dress code. One may dress however he or she may want to with no authority figure telling him or her that it is inappropriate. Also, while experiencing all this freedom, a student is no longer