How is Evergreen Different From High School?

High school and college are substantively different environments. Understanding some of the important differences between high school and college may help you achieve a smoother transition. High school may be thought of as a "teaching environment" in which you acquire facts and skills. College may be thought of as a "learning environment" in which you take responsibility for thinking through and applying what you have learned.

Personal Freedom in High School	Personal Freedom at Evergreen
High school is mandatory and free (unless you choose other options).	College is voluntary and often expensive.
Others usually structure your time.	You manage your own time.
You could probably count on parents and teachers to remind you of your responsibilities and to guide you in setting priorities.	You will be faced with a large number of moral and ethical decisions you have not had to face previously. You must balance your responsibilities and set priorities.
Guiding principle: You will usually be told what your responsibilities are and corrected if your behavior is out of line.	Guiding principle: You're expected to take responsibility for what you do and don't do, as well as for the consequences of your decisions.
High School Classes	Evergreen Classes
Each day you proceed from one class directly to another.	You may often have hours between classes; class times vary throughout the day and evening.
You spend 6 hours each day--30 hours a week--in class.	You spend 12 to 16 hours each week in class
Teachers carefully monitor class attendance.	Professors may not formally take roll, but they are still likely to know whether or not you attended, and it will probably figure into your evaluation.
You are provided with textbooks at little or no expense.	You need to budget substantial funds for textbooks, which will usually cost more than $200 each quarter.
High School Teachers	Evergreen Faculty
Teachers check your completed homework.	Faculty may not check completed homework, but they will assume you can perform the same tasks on tests or for evaluation.
Teachers remind you of your incomplete work.	Faculty may not remind you of incomplete work.
Teachers approach you if they believe you need assistance.	Faculty are usually open and helpful, but most expect you to initiate contact if you need assistance.
Teachers are often available for conversation before, during, or after class.	Faculty are often available for quick questions before or after class, but usually want you to come to their scheduled office hours for more involved discussions.
Teachers have been trained in teaching methods to assist in imparting knowledge to students.	Faculty have been trained as experts in their particular areas of research.
Teachers provide you with information you missed when you were absent.	Faculty expect you to get from classmates any notes from classes you missed.
Teachers present material to help you understand the material in the textbook.	Faculty may build on the textbook, assuming you've read it (you could get lost if you haven't.) They often expect you to clarify your understandings of textbook readings through papers or seminaring,
Teachers often write information on the board to be copied in your notes.	Faculty may lecture nonstop, expecting you to identify the important points in your notes. When professors write on the board, it may be to amplify the lecture, not to summarize it. Good notes are a must.
Teachers impart knowledge and facts, sometimes drawing direct connections and leading you through the thinking process.	Faculty expect you to think about and synthesize what may seem to be unrelated topics.
Teachers often take time to remind you of assignments and due dates.	Faculty expect you to read, save, and consult the class syllabus (outline); the syllabus spells out exactly what is expected of you, when it is due, and how you will be evaluated.
Studying in High School	Studying at Evergreen
You may study outside of class as little as 0 to 2 hours a week, and this may be mostly last-minute test preparation.	You need to study at least 2 to 3 hours outside of class for each hour in class, for example 12 hours in class and another 24 to 36 hours outside of class.
You often need to read or hear presentations only once to learn all you need to learn about them.	You need to review class notes and text material regularly, sometimes working in study groups.
You are expected to read short assignments that are then discussed, and often re-taught, in class.	You are assigned substantial amounts of reading and writing which may not be directly addressed in class.
Guiding principle: You will usually be told in class what you needed to learn from assigned readings.	Guiding principle: It's up to you to read, understand and be prepared to discuss the assigned material; lectures and assignments proceed from the assumption that you've prepared as needed.
Tests in High School	Tests at Evergreen
Testing is usually frequent and covers small amounts of material.	Testing is designed to be appropriate to the content of the course or program. It may be infrequent and may be cumulative, covering large amounts of material. You, not the professor, need to organize the material to prepare for the test. A particular class may have only 2 or 3 tests in a quarter.
Makeup tests are often available.	Makeup tests may not be an option; if they are, you need to request them.
Mastery is usually seen as the ability to reproduce what you were taught in the form in which it was presented to you, or to solve the kinds of problems you were shown how to solve.	Mastery is often seen as the ability to apply what you've learned to new situations or to solve new kinds of problems. Tests are usually designed in an appropriate way to help you see if you understand the ideas in the program.
Grades in High School	Evaluation at Evergreen
Grades are given for most assigned work.	Evaluation and feedback may be provided for assigned work in an overview. You may not receive much feed back on small assignments.
Consistently good homework grades may help raise your overall grade when test grades are low.	Your performance on seminaring, tests and major papers often provide much of your final evaluation.
Extra credit projects are often available to help you raise your grade.	Extra credit projects aren't, generally speaking, used to improve your evaluation or increase your credits in a college class.
You may graduate as long as you have passed all required classes with a grade of D or higher.	You may graduate if you meet the college's standard requirements: 180 credits earned. (Additional requirements for the BS.)
Guiding principle: "Effort counts." Classes are usually structured to reward a "good-faith effort."	Guiding principle: "Effort counts, but results count more." Though "good-faith effort" is important in regard to the professor's willingness to help you achieve good results, it will not substitute for results in the final evaluation.

This chart has been adapted from a publication developed by Southern Methodist University - Fall 2002 - by the Evergreen Academic Advising Office Updated: October 6, 2002