Get ready for uni - for students with disability who are planning for university

FAQ Sheet 19:

What are the differences between school and university?

There are some similarities between school and university but there will be lots of differences. You'll notice a big change in your responsibilities as a student. You'll also probably have more personal freedom than ever before but more priorities to juggle compared to your school days.

Here is a comparison of key differences between school and uni. Have a look at this information to help you to understand what new skills you'll need at university and what changes to make to keep pace with life as a uni student.

When you know what changes are ahead at university, this should help you to make an easier transition from school to university.

This information has been extracted from the Tasmanian Regional Disability Liaison Officer's publication 'Leaps and Bounds' (2005) and the Tasmanian NDCO website.

Differences between university and high school

Enrolment into high school Enrolment into university
Once you enrol at your high school you remain enrolled until you leave or graduate. You are required to enrol at least every year if not every term.
An enrolment form is completed and submitted by your parent/guardian prior to your entry into high school. Once the university makes you an offer of a place in a program you are responsible for accepting that offer.
Enrolment and subject selection are unrelated. Enrolment is not complete until you select your courses for the term into which you are enrolling.
Your teachers and guidance officer can assist you in selecting your subjects and will complete any required paperwork for you. You are responsible for selecting, adding and dropping your courses before each term and completing the required process. A program advisor is available for advice only.

It is the responsibility of the school from which the student is coming to advise of any learning support needs to the high school.

Decisions regarding any provision of support are based on an ascertainment process carried out by the teachers, Education Department, the parents/ guardians and the student.

Students with Disabilities or chronic medical conditions are encouraged to advise the university as early as possible of their intention to apply to study. Decisions regarding provision of support will be based on:

  • professional documentation and
  • case by case negotiations between the student and the staff of the university.
Personal freedom in high school Personal freedom in university
High school up to grade 10 is mandatory and up till grade 12 is free (unless you choose other options). Study at a university is voluntary and often expensive.
While you may have some personal study time built in, the majority of your weekly timetable is structured by others. The lecturer often sets the times for lectures. A choice of times for tutorials is usually offered. You are expected to manage your own personal study time.
You need permission to participate in extracurricular activities. You must decide whether to participate in extracurricular activities. (Hint: Choose wisely in the first semester and then add later.)
You need money for special purchases or events. You may need money to meet basic necessities if you live away from home.
You can 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 on your own previously. You must balance your responsibilities and set priorities.
Guiding principle: You will usually be told what your responsibilities are and corrected if your behaviour is out of line. Guiding principle: As an adult learner you are expected to take responsibility for what you do and don't do, as well as for the consequences of your decisions.
High school classes University classes
Each day you proceed from one class directly to another according to the timetable provided. Some days you may have free periods that allow you to study. You often have hours between lectures and tutorials at variable times throughout the day and week.
You spend 20-25 hours in class between the hours of 8.30am-3pm Monday-Friday If you are an internal student studying full-time you can expect to spend 12-16 hours each week in lectures or tutorials between 8am-9pm Monday-Friday.
The school year is 36 weeks long; some classes extend over both semesters and some do not. The academic year is divided into separate 12-week terms, usually with a week at the end of term for exams. Universities vary in how many terms they may offer in a year.
Your classes are scheduled for you. You select your schedule from the timetable provided.
Teachers carefully monitor class attendance and your end of semester report will reflect this. Lecturers and teachers may not formally take roll, but they are still likely to know whether or not you attended. Regular in-attendance at lectures and tutorials can lead to a failure.
Classes generally have no more than 25 students. Lectures may number from 100 students or more.
You are provided with textbooks at little or no expense. You need to budget substantial funds for textbooks, which at university will usually cost more than $200 each term.
Graduation requirements are straightforward; you are guided in the provisions needed to graduate. Graduation requirements are complex. You are expected to know those that apply to you.
High school teachers University lecturers
Teachers check your completed homework. Lecturers and teachers don't check required reading and responses to the literature, but they will assume the set tasks have been completed successfully.
Teachers remind you of your incomplete work. Lecturers may not remind you of incomplete work.
Teachers approach you if they believe you need assistance. Lecturers 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. Lecturers expect and want you to attend their scheduled office hours.
Teachers have been trained in teaching methods to assist in imparting knowledge to students. Lecturers have been trained as experts in their particular areas of research.
Teachers provide you with information you missed when you were absent. Lecturers expect you to obtain for yourself any notes from classes you missed.
Teachers present material to help you understand the material in the textbook. Lecturers may not follow the textbook. Instead, to amplify the text, they may give illustrations, provide background information or discuss research about the topic you are studying. Or they may expect you to relate the classes to the textbook readings.
Teachers often write information on the board to be copied in your notes or provide handouts of relevant information. Lecturers may lecture nonstop, expecting you to identify the important points in your notes. When lecturers 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. Lecturers expect you to think about and synthesize seemingly unrelated topics.
Teachers often take time to remind you of assignments and due dates. Lecturers expect you to read, save, and consult the course profile outline; the profile outline spells out exactly what is expected of you, when it is due, and how you will be graded.
Studying in high school Studying in university
You may study outside of class as little as 0-5 hours a week. You need to study at least 2-3 hours outside of class for each hour in class, e.g. 16 hours of class time may require 30 hours of private study per week.
You often need to read or hear presentations only once to learn all you need to know about them. You need to review class notes and text material regularly.
You are expected to read short assignments e.g. a book chapter that are then discussed, and often re-taught, in class. You will be 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 need to learn from assigned readings. Guiding principle: It's up to you to read and understand the assigned material; lectures and assignments proceed from the assumption that you've already done so.
Exams in high school Exams in university
Exams are often frequent and covers small amounts of material. Exams may be infrequent and may be cumulative, covering large amounts of material. You, not the lecturer, need to organize the material to prepare for the exam. A particular course may have as few as 1 exam in a term.
Makeup exams are often available. Makeup exams are seldom an option; if they are, you need to request them.
Teachers frequently rearrange exam dates to avoid conflict with school events. Lecturers in different courses usually schedule exams at the start of term without regard to the demands of other courses or outside activities. In fact most exams are scheduled to occur in a formal exam period (7 days) that falls at the end of term.
Teachers frequently conduct review sessions, pointing out the most important concepts. Lecturers rarely offer review sessions, and when they do, they expect you to be an active participant, one who comes prepared with questions.
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 creatively apply what you've learned to new situations or to solve new kinds of problems.
Grades in high school Grades in university
Grades are given for most assigned work. Grades may not be provided for all assigned work.
Consistently good homework grades may help raise your overall grade when exam grades are low. Grades on exams, assignments and tutorial presentations provide the entire course grade.
Initial exam grades, especially when they are low, may not have an adverse effect on your final grade. Your first exams are usually 'wake-up calls' to let you know what is expected - but they also may account for a substantial part of your course grade. You may be shocked when you get your grades.
You may graduate as long as you have passed all required courses. You may graduate only if your average in classes meets the faculty/school standard.