"This is crap. Why would I want four more years?" said my cousin when I asked her about plans to go to college. Simply put, for an intelligent person, or one that got black-listed by the 'cool' kids in high school for being too different, high school can be a torturous affair, a daily rendition of having to get up early, dress to please your peers always, and a constant monotony of tests, study halls, and either teachers who pay too much attention or teachers who pay too little.

It took some convincing, but my intelligent cousin, who had decided that goth lesbians were about the coolest people out there, came around. First you get to pick your classes, which will be somewhat determined by your major. Pretty much everyone has to take English Composition classes, but it's really up to you on when and whether to keep taking those English, History, and Science courses. Second, you don't HAVE to get up early. Some classes will only be offered in the morning, but it's your choice, a trade-off if you really want the class. Third, if that's an 8am class you signed up for, you haven't got to be perfectly dressed for it. Even cheerleaders and fraternity brothers will show up for classes in their pajamas once in a while. In college it's more important to be there than to be dressed well.

There are tests in college, and many of them. Many classes however don't have tests. Instead you'll be asked to write a research paper or to do a project. This really depends on your major, and you can find out about a class easily enough before signing up by requesting a syllabus from the professor. Most professors stay true to their syllabus. There are no study halls except those you create for yourself. There are few over-bearing professors. They still want you to do good, but they won't be in your business like they could be in high school.

Lastly, but most importantly, there are the people. Even at the country university that I got my B.A. from, there were goth lesbians (those pictures made my cousin happy), hippy kids, preps going into business, nerds going into computer science and mathematics, thousands of people everyday coming through campus from all walks of life. You can easily have friends from all over the world, not to mention emo guys dressed like David Bowie's Space Oddity (even in Arkansas) and jocks willing to help you out with your weightlifting routine.

Looking for a particular crowd? Pay attention to the bulletin boards and the school newspaper. You'll see signs and ads for live punk music this weekend, a variety of student associations, work-groups dealing with specific issues, and a whole host of subject-based groups. Pretty much everybody is doing something, and they all would be happy to have you involved. Pick your crowd and explore. College, unlike high school, is all about exploration, especially early on. Don't let any advisor, or your own parents, talk you into any one thing at first. Give yourself time to choose your own adventure.

Learn more about this author, Micah Myers.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about How is college different from high school??
We want to hear your view. Write now!