How Difficult are College Classes Compared with High School?
Is college hard? Yes, college classes are typically harder than high school classes because the course work, topics, and depth of materials are more complex, set at a faster pace, and require more studying.
Some things that will make college hard are the number of classes you will be taking, your major, the college you join, and whether you will be taking the course full-time or part-time.
Key in mind, college courses aren’t harder to pass than high school classes if you study. It all depends on how much your prepare and how well you can focus on your coursework. Remember, the vast majority of students who drop out of college do it for personal and life reasons–not because of how difficult college is.
Let’s check out some reasons why college is so hard and ways you can make it easier than high school.
Are College Classes Easier Than High School?
No, college classes are not easier than high school classes. College coursework is much more detailed, complex, and fast-paced. College classes also often require students to do more reading and homework outside of class than high school classes.
Is College Harder than High School?
College can be hard since the courses are more difficult than high school classes, but it depends on your mindset. It doesn’t have to be gloom and doom. College is difficult, but it is also fun and rewarding at the same time.
It is easy to be overwhelmed on the first day of college because of the transition, which may make it challenging to concentrate. You will be responsible for keeping up with the assignment and checking syllabus courses each day. Teaching yourself outside the lecture and other things can be overwhelming as well.
There is a lot of homework in college relative to high school, and sometimes you can get up to four or five projects due in a week. If you don’t take your assignments seriously, college life can be hard for you.
The good thing is you have the opportunity to enroll in classes that interest you and you have the freedom to get involved in extra curricular activities that aren’t available in high school.
College is harder than high school, but it is doable and you shouldn’t let the difficulty deter you from attending college.
Why is College So Hard?
Many students struggle with their college coursework. You don’t have to feel bad if you struggle. It’s normal. You just have to put in the work and try to get through it.
Here are a few reasons why school is so hard.
Your courses are difficult
The courses can be hard especially considering you will only have 15 credit hours in the classroom in the semester system, which means you need to study outside class for another 30 to 45 hours to bring a total of 45 to 60 hours. There is a lot to study for in college, and then coursework can be tricky.
You have more freedom, and many make bad choices
College is different from high school, where you deal with a daily routine because there is freedom, and you can choose to attend classes or not. Some say college studying is harder than in high school to get you to work hard. You need to manage your freedoms and balance with your studies.
Many people procrastinate
Some students are unable to get rid of procrastination. They keep focusing on their favorite interests and forget they are supposed to study or fail to study and wait until a few days before the exam before they start studying. Sometimes it will be hard to concentrate in lecturers because some professors may be boring, so the student postpones attending classes. This means they can miss a lot and during exam time they can find it difficult.
Many people don’t discipline themselves to study
Discipline is hard to learn for some students, especially since most are younger than 25 years and their prefrontal cortex has not fully grown. As the brain continues growing changing, and forming, the prefrontal cortex is responsible for judgment. Maintaining discipline as you study will make you feel pressure, and you will end up with good grades. Your classes in the first semester can be overwhelming, but with discipline, you can hack it.
Course Load
Your course load can make a big difference in determining how busy you are and how hard your college life will be. Once you start attending classes, you may feel that your professor is hard to understand or boring, and other classes may not be interesting as others. Once you go to college, you will have to figure things the hard way, which can be tricky coupled with feeling homesick.
Similarly, irrespective of the number of hours you choose, it doesn’t change that there is a full class load, and sometimes you can have less time between classes. Some lecturers don’t care if you attend the classes, but it has to be your initiative to attend the classes.
How Many Classes Should I Take in College?
Usually, three to five-unit classes are the main academic classes that fulfill the course requirement and count as your credit hours. In addition, the one to two-unit classes is athletic or series classes with fewer assignments outside the classes.
There are various ways to combine these, and your need to take either three or four main classes each semester depending on your major or what they entail. The one or two-unit courses can be considered but be careful not to pile many classes that complicate your life.
Between 12 and 15 units are ideal for the first semester, and the maximum number of units you can tale in the first semester is 20, and after that, you can request to take 21 to 22 units in particular cases.
What are the Hardest College Classes?
The hardest class in college is subjective, and it depends on your college major. If you are good at math, you will find college algebra easy same to other subjects.
But generally, some of the hardest classes, including Organic Chemistry, Advanced Econometrics, and Electromagnetics, are considered the most difficult.
It has been said that Math 55 at Harvard is the most difficult college course in the country.
What are the Easiest Classes to Take in College?
Generally, the easiest classes to take in college are introduction courses. Classes like English 101 and Math 101 are basically review courses of your high school classes. They are designed to bring you up to speed and help you remember everything your forgot since high school.
Many students also find many of the humanity courses like Journalism, Art, and History courses to be among the easiest college classes.
Is Accounting Hard in College?
College level accounting courses can be difficult and challenging for many students. It depends on your academic strengths and weaknesses as to whether you will find them hard or not.
Most accounting, finance, and business majors don’t struggle with college accounting courses, but other unrelated business program majors like marketing and advertising tend to have a difficult time with accounting courses.
In short, college accounting courses can be hard depending on your interests, area of study, and aptitude.
Is Psychology Hard in College?
College level psychology classes are not hard or particularly challenging. Psychology is part of the general humanities department which is typically viewed as some of the easiest college courses.
Don’t get me wrong, some upper level psychology courses can be difficult, but the entry level college psychology class that most college students take is not hard. It will require some attention and studying, but you will be able to pass it without a problem.
What is the Hardest Year in College?
Although college classes increase in difficulty as the curriculum progresses, the freshman year is typically considered the hardest college year because the student is yet to acclimatize to life in college and the freedoms that come with it.
Senior year is the hardest academic year because the courses are the most difficult and advanced. Typically, most students say their freshman year is more challenging than their senior year because they have adapted the college life and be able to make it through other challenging courses by that point. The senior year is just more of the same.
Tips to Make College Easier
There are many different things you can do to make your college career easier than high school. Some of them involve adapting to your new college lifestyle while others involve study schedule discipline.
Here are are a few ways to make college easier than high school.
Keep a study schedule
It is vital to create a study schedule to help you manage your time well. There is a lot of freedom in college, so you may miss a lot if you don’t plan well.
Do your homework and read the textbook
It is vital to remember you are not in high school anymore and should take assignments seriously. Do them and hand them on time. Lecturers don’t accept excuses about assignments, and you should take them seriously.
Attend all your lectures
You should try and always attend lectures and if you do, always try to do without your phone to avoid distractions and concentrate in class.