40 Life Lessons That They Don’t Teach You In High School, But You Learn Immediately In College
It might look like high school and college life are separated by only a few, short, glorious summer months, but the reality is very different. The two are worlds apart! There are so many valuable life lessons that you learn almost immediately after going through the college gates that it’s remarkable. Obvious life hacks that you would never have even considered back in school.
Because both autumn and the brand new school year are upon us, here is a list of the unexpected things that people might not teach you in high school but that you learn almost instantly as a college kid. Scroll down and upvotes your favorite life tips, and write us a comment about which college rules you enjoyed the most and why. After you’re done reading this article, have a look at Bored Panda’s fun lists about all the hilarious posts about college life choices that will make you laugh, then cry, and the times broke college students proved they’re the smartest people ever.
(h/t Buzzfeed)
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People start college and university at very different times each year: some of you are already busy studying (or partying, or both), while others will start in the next few weeks. Either way, there’s some common sense advice that freshmen need to hear.
Kelly Corrigan writes in The New York Times that it’s important to know how to cook nutritious food and to have a basic working knowledge about money and saving before starting your studies.
That's weird. In most of my classes there would be at least one person who got a coffee or something similar and brought it in without issue.
This is the embodiment of nope. She put in the effort to wake up, buy something to keep her awake, and get herself to school. The moment she gets in the class to get an education, She gets called out, told she can't have the drink she bought herself (and let's be honest probably needed because caffeine addiction is a mother) Not to mention the complete lack of insight to her mental health and personal life. I totally get being so close to loosing it that getting told you can't get your ridiculously expensive education over needing a damn cup of coffee?! I totally get the overwhelming not today satan response. Expecting respect without putting forward respect and consideration that you are dealing with a grow
Grown a*s human being is like kicking someone and expecting a thank you.
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Yeah, that girl is going to go far in the real world. Employers love that kind of attitude.
I would have walked out too. Coffee is expensive and she might have been relying on it to get her through the class. Never had an employer whose had an issue with anyone drinking coffee at work.
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I had a similar experience in college. A woman walked in with a can of iced tea. The professor told her to throw it out. She said, "I read the rules and that isn't one of them. If you don't want drinks brought into class, you can be polite and ask: I'm an adult." The professor approached her as if she was going to take the drink. The woman said forcefully: "IF YOU TOUCH ME, I WILL DEFEND MYSELF." The prof assigned reading, then wrote on the board: "No eating or drinking in class." The next day it was on the door. A few months later the prof was gone -- never found out if she was cut or quit.
My story from over a decade past is: a student came in an 11AM class almost an hour late, and had not shown up for some weeks; she also had turned in no assignments. She comes in, slowly, and sits, half-asleep. I was, incidentally, lecturing on federal vs state law in America, and used my oft example of a certain herbal leaf used for smoking (among other things). She shouted out... "But....I have a card from the doctor! I can use it!" The class began to murmur in quiet laughter. I merely responded that it is a still a federal crime, even if our state does not enforce federal laws. She jumped up, shouting "Oh, s##t!" and ran out of the classroom. I never saw her again. -Dr M, ret prof
When I was in college in the 80s you could bring food and drinks into class.
So was I, and we couldn't. Where did you attend?
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Suddenly you realize you have a choice! If the prof is a jerk, drop the class and get another.
Once I was taking attendance in pfa court, and a victim and her ride came in with 2 coffees and a bag of donuts and proceded to sit themselves down in the back of the courtroom. When I told them they couldn't have them in the room they looked at me like I couldn't tell them that, so I went and told the bailiff. The judge would have been in a foul mood if he'd have seen that.
Anyone remember that giant step from 8th grade to highschool?? You know, when we were stoked because we could finally chew gum in class?
I had an instructor tell me that once, my reply was that I was paying to be here. I sat down (with my drink) and he never said another word about it.
Just because you're paying for something does not mean you should not respect the place you are in. Are you one of those using cellphones at the cinema? After all, you paid for it.
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Or the middle aged couple who walked into church with their Star bucks.
It's a great lesson for the professor how economics works.
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Why is it bad manners? People in my uni lectures are always drinking coffee or tea or water or soda, what does that matter?
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There's literally a rule in my high school that teachers may not express political opinions. Nobody cares, though, and they do it anyway. #ExposeKidsToPolitics
Corrigan also adds that basic things like keeping your dorm room door open and saying ‘hi’ to people around campus can work wonders for your social life. What’s more, you should never be pressured into drinking if you don’t want to — playing tabletop games with a few close friends is a perfectly fine way to spend your Friday night.
No, don't. Life will smack her upside the head. There's no need for you to do it too.
But let’s not forget what college is really about — exercising your brain and growing as a person. So be sure to put in the effort during lectures and seminars: sit in front; participate; ask questions; meet with your professors; do the work; put in the effort.
But remember, there are some things that no one can tell you and that you’ll have to find out for yourself. Dear Pandas, how has your college experience been so far? What awesome, funny, and unexpected lessons did you learn there?
I don't dress up much, so when I do I get the reaction of "Why are you all dressed up?" Because I want to be!
My teachers do this to me in high school lmao. They are always talking about email etiquette, and they don't use it half the time but get mad if we don't.
....and let’s have a Snuggie party this weekend! Who needs a toga anyway?
I remember when they kept telling us that we won't carry calculators around with us in the real world. * holds up smartphone
College in the UK=sixth form, to take A levels and uni entrance exams, right? The US doesn't have that. The closest thing to it is in New York State and is called the Regents' Exam. Otherwise, you just pass all your classes, pass those classes' final exams, get a diploma and go by age 17-18. No O-levels here. No gap years here (maybe the very rich teens do that, but it's not at all common). IF you want a uni degree, you take the SAT or the ACT during your senior year of high school (these are more comprehensive than A- or O-levels), and supposedly unis look at that score along with your grades and participation in school teams and community service. "College" in the US is synonymous with uni, usually starts at age 18, after high school, and usually lasts until age 21, when one gets a Bachelor of Arts or Science (e.g. "I have a BA in History"). Then one can go on to graduate school for a Masters or a professional degree, like for law or medicine, and then on to a PhD if one wishes.
This is why Australian holidays are so much better. We have 4 terms of school. School usually starts mid to late January (depending on state) each term is approx 10 weeks and after each of the first 3 terms there is 2 weeks of holidays. Then after the fourth term there is 6 weeks of holidays from early to mid December to mid to late January. (Again depends on state, some states have a week difference).
In Brazil we have to take all the classes in the course. We can't chose what to take, even if we hate it, or if it has no relevance. Sad.
Note: this post originally had 48 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
I posted this comment up above but I'll do it again. Downvoting Tiny Dynamine for knowing their country is not OK, you could have explained instead! The word "college" has different meanings in different countries, and even though this (obviously) is an American post that doesn't mean neither that everyone who reads and/or comments is American, nor that they automatically know everything about the American educational system. So-> From googling: "A two-year college offers an associate's degree, as well as certificates. A four-year college or university offers a bachelor's degree. Programs that offer these degrees are called "undergraduate" schools. A "university" is a group of schools for studies after secondary school" This must refer to the USA. "Universities typically provide undergraduate education and postgraduate education."
In Spanish, 'el colegio' is referring to primary and secondary education. 'Ir al colegio" = to go to school. And in Germany, a 'Hochschule' (literal translation: high school) is a (US) college/university, the same goes for example for a Swedish 'högskola'. Knowing what a college is in one country does NOT make anyone uneducated for not knowing what it is in another. Explain instead of retorting to downvotes and namecalling, please.
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Apparently this needs to be said... in America, Universities are made up of several colleges (College of Math, College of Art, etc). THEREFORE when people refer to "college students" they mean students going to University. And as for the "work level", that depends heavily on what major you go into. My major did not allow for free time or even going home on the weekend.
Got halfway through and realised my dumb British a*s thought they were talking about English college.... *headdesk
Our colleges aren't that bizarre. Unless you went to Eton, where f*****g the mouth of a dead pig seems to be a prerequisite for graduating, and then becoming Prime Minister. Although, word on the grapevine is Boris Johnson did it with a goat's head.
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All of these are about university. Americans don’t have anything between high school and university besides anxiety.
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I posted this comment up above but I'll do it again. Downvoting Tiny Dynamine for knowing their country is not OK, you could have explained instead! The word "college" has different meanings in different countries, and even though this (obviously) is an American post that doesn't mean neither that everyone who reads and/or comments is American, nor that they automatically know everything about the American educational system. So-> From googling: "A two-year college offers an associate's degree, as well as certificates. A four-year college or university offers a bachelor's degree. Programs that offer these degrees are called "undergraduate" schools. A "university" is a group of schools for studies after secondary school" This must refer to the USA. "Universities typically provide undergraduate education and postgraduate education."
In Spanish, 'el colegio' is referring to primary and secondary education. 'Ir al colegio" = to go to school. And in Germany, a 'Hochschule' (literal translation: high school) is a (US) college/university, the same goes for example for a Swedish 'högskola'. Knowing what a college is in one country does NOT make anyone uneducated for not knowing what it is in another. Explain instead of retorting to downvotes and namecalling, please.
Load More Replies... Apparently this needs to be said... in America, Universities are made up of several colleges (College of Math, College of Art, etc). THEREFORE when people refer to "college students" they mean students going to University. And as for the "work level", that depends heavily on what major you go into. My major did not allow for free time or even going home on the weekend.
Got halfway through and realised my dumb British a*s thought they were talking about English college.... *headdesk
Our colleges aren't that bizarre. Unless you went to Eton, where f*****g the mouth of a dead pig seems to be a prerequisite for graduating, and then becoming Prime Minister. Although, word on the grapevine is Boris Johnson did it with a goat's head.
Load More Replies... All of these are about university. Americans don’t have anything between high school and university besides anxiety.
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