From High School to Varsity | What to expect as a first-year student

From High School to Varsity | What to expect as a first-year student

The milestone transition from high school to varsity is a whirlwind of excitement, freedom, and, at times, sheer overwhelm. For many, it’s the first taste of independence; a chance to chart your own course, but also a challenge to juggle newfound responsibilities and ‘adulting’ pressures. 

Right off the bat, the glaring differences between your new campus context vs your high school environment will be obvious. 

Be prepared! The changes of swapping your school uniform for a university ‘dress code’ are notable. 

The glaring differences between your new campus context vs your high school environment will be obvious.

Academic Structure

 At High School, your hours and timetable were set with guided daily activities and routines. At any of South Africa’s top universities, your schedule will include gaps between classes and lectures that may involve hundreds of students. Independence in managing your time and workload is expected.

Teaching Style

Gone are the days when your teachers provided close supervision, regular reminders about homework, and frequent assessments. University Professors present material in lectures but expect students to take responsibility for understanding it, completing assignments, and seeking help when needed.

Workload and Pace

As a first-year student pursuing an undergrad journey, you will quickly realise that High School was a breeze; the workload was manageable and spread out, with teachers often checking on progress. Be warned: at Varsity, your workload increases significantly, with multiple assignments, readings, and exams, and little to no gatekeeping. Faculty deadlines may coincide, requiring effective time management.

Level of Independence

Welcome to adulting! You will no longer have teachers and parents closely looking over your shoulder and monitoring academic progress, attendance, and personal well-being. You are now responsible for attending classes, completing tasks, and seeking help when needed. No one is going to chase after you if you skip a lecture.

As a first-year varsity student, you will no longer have teachers and parents closely looking over your shoulder and monitoring academic progress, attendance, and personal well-being.

Social Environment

This is a big adjustment. Your ‘parochial high school pond’ of close-knit groups with familiar peers and a clear social hierarchy morphs into an ocean of a diverse student body, with different cultures, backgrounds and ages. Social circles are more fluid, and meeting new people is a daily occurrence.

Size of Campus 

Smaller, confined High School spaces with fewer facilities and resources give way to mega-sized campuses often including libraries, gyms, cafes, and various academic buildings.

Support Systems

At High School, teachers, counsellors, and parents were more hands-on in providing support and guidance. At University, support systems – like counselling centres, peer mentors, or academic advisors exist – must be proactively sought out. Taking advantage of the support services on offer is vital for managing your mental health.

Freedom in Learning: 

The subject choice in South African High School is pretty much predetermined, with limited options and flexibility to choose subjects. At university, however, you are spoilt for choice and have the freedom to select courses, and electives, and even decide the pace of your academic journey, such as double majoring or taking a lighter course load. South Africa’s top universities even offer distance learning options to meet the needs of students. 

At university, however, you are spoilt for choice and have the freedom to select courses, and electives, and even decide the pace of your academic journey, such as double majoring or taking a lighter course load. South Africa’s top universities even offer distance learning options to meet the needs of students.

Assessment Style:

This can be a big adjustment as your learning styles often sync with continuous assessment expectations including regular quizzes, homework, and teacher-led revision sessions. Once you enter a big university environment, there are fewer assessments, which are often weighted heavily. Exams and essays may account for most of your grade, requiring deeper critical thinking and self-study. Your learning style, study strategies and pace, and your score goals need to be adjusted accordingly. If not, you will either drop out or burn out. 

Extracurricular Activities

Organised High School sports and cultural pressure are off. As you arrive on campus as an excited first-year student, the ‘world is your oyster’ with a seemingly limitless offering of societies, clubs and sports activities to join. 

 As you arrive on campus as an excited first-year student, the ‘world is your oyster’ with a seemingly limitless offering of societies, clubs and sports activities to join.

Daily Routine

Your consistent daily routine – with early mornings and fixed timetables – suddenly gives way to flexible schedules and classes at different times. You decide how to structure your day, which can be liberating but challenging to manage.

Interaction with Faculty Members

Your personal interaction with university lecturers and faculty professors looks completely different to how you engaged with your high school teachers. Professors may seem distant, with limited one-on-one interaction unless you make an effort to attend office hours or ask questions.

Your personal interaction with university lecturers and faculty professors looks completely different to how you engaged with your high school teachers.

Financial Responsibility

For many university students, parents are no longer able to pay for tertiary studies and budgeting for tuition, rent, food, and other expenses becomes their responsibility. For those who receive scholarships or bursaries, financial independence and literacy become crucial.

Cultural Exposure

Although a generalisation, South African high schools offer limited diversity and inclusion in terms of ideas, people, and perspectives. Your first year at one of South Africa’s top universities is likely to be a ‘culture shock;’ But this melting pot of cultures, opinions, and experiences encourages broader thinking and personal growth.

Adjusting to all these differences requires adaptability, responsibility, and a proactive mindset. While the university environment offers more freedom and opportunities, it also demands greater self-discipline and independence.

The good news is that if you gained acceptance into one of South Africa’s top universities, then you likely have a good foundation and a diligent work ethic.

The good news is that if you gained acceptance into one of South Africa’s top universities, then you likely have a good foundation and a diligent work ethic. But by anticipating the great divide between High School and University, and putting the right strategies in place, you can navigate this shift successfully and thrive as you start your tertiary education journey. 

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