Is university extremely difficult?

[cherrynabongss]

I'm a high school senior, and I'm going through university/college applications right now. So many people go to university so I think it should be doable, but idk if I will be able to do it. :( I don't think I'm naturally smart, I just get good grades because of my work ethic. Idk if I'm capable of writing 20 page papers all the time, it seems impossible. I also get stressed really easily. I'm so worried about my future, not ready to be an adult. :( is university possible to get through without breaking down?

[Jeffrey Jung]

take your time 90% of college and uni kids aren't even ready to do adult stuffs live your life and enjoy your high school moments

you're not alone it's sounds unbearable but you'll live through it just don't hang out with the wrong crowds it's riskier in universities

[L'Arachel]

You'll be fine. Be confident in yourself. Personally I think having a good work ethic is better than being naturally smart - personally (not bragging) but I consider myself smart, however my work ethic is pretty terrible lel... I find it difficult to keep up at times and I end up procrastinating like hell although I usually pull out in the end with decent grades. Um so yeah, you'll be fine, don't worry

[coreofsoul]

You don't write 20 pg papers all the time. In fact I never wrote one until I got to grad school.

 

If you get stressed easily just make sure to stay on top of your work and don't procrastinate.

 

And if it does become stressful there's counseling at the school to help you with that.

[VANTE]

it depends on your major but its totally doable

[Teru]

it's completely fine. obviously don't do something you have no ability or confidence in just because you think you should study something "hard" at university level. study something you're personally interested in. that plus if you already have a good work ethic you'll fly through it

 

tbh the thought of university being "hard" is kinda funny considering just how many students around you will still pass with the absolute minimum of effort on their part... prepare to be annoyed by many of your classmates openly not giving a shit, lol

 

anyway, it's really not that different from being in school... the only difference is that you're expected to organise your own work and study in your free time, and to make your own decisions about the direction you want to take your studies in.

 

otherwise, everyone around you is going to be equally nervous and clueless and fresh outta HS, so no need to compare yourself to them as if they're all pros in their first year

 

tbh it's not proper adulthood at all... that's the sucky part that comes after and trust me you wanna delay that as much as possible

[YNRA]

i think most of the time it's not that bad 

[nadiaj0y]

i'm also a senior in high school but I have a lot of friends that are in uni now, they always said universities aren't so bad but however homeworks makes it difficult for them (their professors tend to give a lot of homeworks and short deadlines on that) honestly I think it's always the best if you major in something you ACTUALLY enjoy, it'll be way easier

[Wasta]

I feel like my first year of uni was actually easier in some ways than my last year of high school. However I'm at a level now where break downs do happen occasionally and I pull all nighters at least twice a week. But I am an engineering major, so I think other majors don't have such a heavy workload. In the end, it comes down to time management and how much effort you want to put into things. It's good that you already have an established work ethic, that will help a lot. 

[cherrynabongss]

it's completely fine. obviously don't do something you have no ability or confidence in just because you think you should study something "hard" at university level. study something you're personally interested in. that plus if you already have a good work ethic you'll fly through it

 

tbh the thought of university being "hard" is kinda funny considering just how many students around you will still pass with the absolute minimum of effort on their part... prepare to be annoyed by many of your classmates openly not giving a shit, lol

 

anyway, it's really not that different from being in school... the only difference is that you're expected to organise your own work and study in your free time, and to make your own decisions about the direction you want to take your studies in.

 

otherwise, everyone around you is going to be equally nervous and clueless and fresh outta HS, so no need to compare yourself to them as if they're all pros in their first year

 

tbh it's not proper adulthood at all... that's the sucky part that comes after and trust me you wanna delay that as much as possible

thank you so much for your reply! I'm pretty good with the organization, but the part about choosing what I wanna do is kinda scary haha. but I really appreciate your reply, it made me feel a bit better. 

[sakurahanabira]

you are not going to be writing 20 page papers all or most of the time unless you're a junior/senior-level English major or majoring in the liberal arts/social sciences like history or political science (since upper division courses have a lot of writing).

 

and it depends on your major. I was a Japanese major and had lots of free time.

[solis]

i think it's really what you make of it

just do your best! try not to miss class unless you have a really good reason for it (it can be really tempting to skip!), don't be afraid to ask for help.. go to office hours if your professor has them (most do i think), try asking classmates, google practice questions, etc.

as for papers i haven't actually started uni yet so i haven't had any, but it might be easier to find out when it needs to be turned in, and break it into little chunks and work on it a little at a time instead of cramming it into 1 or 2 days (this works for projects too!)

good luck! 

[Teru]

thank you so much for your reply! I'm pretty good with the organization, but the part about choosing what I wanna do is kinda scary haha. but I really appreciate your reply, it made me feel a bit better. 

 

it's scary for everyone bc it's daunting and new, but you'll get used to it, lol

 

I dropped out of two colleges and now I have two degrees so I feel like I know what I'm talkin about... idk, there are so many options, you're not gonna be limited whatever happens

[juicy milky thighs]

Depends

 

College was super easy for me but I'm asian

[BaeDJ]

For me the classes weren't what was hard but keeping up my mental health was. Its easy to get depressed or to get too caught up in the social aspect of college. Also, be careful with who you chose to live with. Even if you're friends and you think you can live together, you should still be careful because a lot of friendships end after people start living together and its unneeded stress and drama.

[demasta]

It depends on what you want to study. Some majors are easy and some majors are hard.

[Trixbox]

It's perfectly fine, its a way to prepare yourself to adulthood since you get to move out, plan your finances (Loans) and learn how to properly manage your time.

[BobCaracal]

You will be fine if you have a good work ethic. High school and college are similar actually, you just need to sit through the class and finish all the assignments given. Don't worry too much about it, it's all doable.I think the most important part is determining the major that you applying. Don't choose the major just because you are following your friends or because your parent want to. Choose the major that you desired and you are confident to. My colleagues usually drop out or got stressed because they have difficulties to adapt with the courses even though they are smart.

[Ringo]

Off the top of my head-

 

A good work ethic is more important than being naturally smart in uni. It will get you far in life to have a good work ethic.

 

Manage your time well. Dinky little worksheets designed to keep students busy each night to turn in the next day aren't gonna be a thing anymore. More likely you'll get projects due at the end of the week or something similar. 

 

You'll have a moderate amount of control over your schedule. Classes will be much longer than high school classes, so don't schedule too much in one day. 

 

There's no crime in taking an elective known to be easy to fulfill degree requirements.

 

Attendance was almost always part of my grade for my schools. Not to mention that classes are going to run 2-3 hours, and a lot more material will be covered in one class than in the small blocks in high school. Only skip if you really have to. Some professors will let you sit in on another class if you've missed your normal one, you just need to ask.

 

It's not the end if you get stuck with a morning class, just plan your days accordingly. Sleep earlier or whatever you have to do.

 

Only use student loans if you absolutely have to. Don't use them on frivolous things because you will be paying for it years and years later. Apply for any scholarships or grants you can. Even if the amount isn't that much, it's still money saved for you/your parents.

 

Some partying to relax is ok once in a while. Stay safe because statistically there will be some... unscrupulous people in your uni.

 

It's ok to take a break and unwind. School should not be your whole life. You will miss out on living if you focus on nothing but school.

 

And finally, and I really wish someone had told me these things when I was in school...

 

There is nothing wrong with you if it takes you longer than 4 years to finish. You don't have to do things that way. You will get there.

[abra]

It depends on the course and how well you study/your work ethic but it should be totally doable.

 

Teru described it well.

[cherrynabongss]

Depends

 

College was super easy for me but I'm asian

lol I'm also Asian

[cherrynabongss]

Off the top of my head-

 

A good work ethic is more important than being naturally smart in uni. It will get you far in life to have a good work ethic.

 

Manage your time well. Dinky little worksheets designed to keep students busy each night to turn in the next day aren't gonna be a thing anymore. More likely you'll get projects due at the end of the week or something similar. 

 

You'll have a moderate amount of control over your schedule. Classes will be much longer than high school classes, so don't schedule too much in one day. 

 

There's no crime in taking an elective known to be easy to fulfill degree requirements.

 

Attendance was almost always part of my grade for my schools. Not to mention that classes are going to run 2-3 hours, and a lot more material will be covered in one class than in the small blocks in high school. Only skip if you really have to. Some professors will let you sit in on another class if you've missed your normal one, you just need to ask.

 

It's not the end if you get stuck with a morning class, just plan your days accordingly. Sleep earlier or whatever you have to do.

 

Only use student loans if you absolutely have to. Don't use them on frivolous things because you will be paying for it years and years later. Apply for any scholarships or grants you can. Even if the amount isn't that much, it's still money saved for you/your parents.

 

Some partying to relax is ok once in a while. Stay safe because statistically there will be some... unscrupulous people in your uni.

 

It's ok to take a break and unwind. School should not be your whole life. You will miss out on living if you focus on nothing but school.

 

And finally, and I really wish someone had told me thing when I was in school...

 

There is nothing wrong with you if it takes you longer than 4 years to finish. You don't have to do things that way. You will get there.

thank you so much for your tips & advice! I really appreciate you taking your time out to write all this for me.   

[cherrynabongss]

take your time 90% of college and uni kids aren't even ready to do adult stuffs live your life and enjoy your high school moments

you're not alone it's sounds unbearable but you'll live through it just don't hang out with the wrong crowds it's riskier in universities

 

 

You'll be fine. Be confident in yourself. Personally I think having a good work ethic is better than being naturally smart - personally (not bragging) but I consider myself smart, however my work ethic is pretty terrible lel... I find it difficult to keep up at times and I end up procrastinating like hell although I usually pull out in the end with decent grades. Um so yeah, you'll be fine, don't worry

 

 

You don't write 20 pg papers all the time. In fact I never wrote one until I got to grad school.

 

If you get stressed easily just make sure to stay on top of your work and don't procrastinate.

 

And if it does become stressful there's counseling at the school to help you with that.

 

 

it depends on your major but its totally doable

 

 

thank you so much for your advice!! greatly appreciated   

[cherrynabongss]

i think most of the time it's not that bad 

 

 

i'm also a senior in high school but I have a lot of friends that are in uni now, they always said universities aren't so bad but however homeworks makes it difficult for them (their professors tend to give a lot of homeworks and short deadlines on that) honestly I think it's always the best if you major in something you ACTUALLY enjoy, it'll be way easier

 

 

I feel like my first year of uni was actually easier in some ways than my last year of high school. However I'm at a level now where break downs do happen occasionally and I pull all nighters at least twice a week. But I am an engineering major, so I think other majors don't have such a heavy workload. In the end, it comes down to time management and how much effort you want to put into things. It's good that you already have an established work ethic, that will help a lot. 

 

 

you are not going to be writing 20 page papers all or most of the time unless you're a junior/senior-level English major or majoring in the liberal arts/social sciences like history or political science (since upper division courses have a lot of writing).

 

and it depends on your major. I was a Japanese major and had lots of free time.

 

 

i think it's really what you make of it

just do your best! try not to miss class unless you have a really good reason for it (it can be really tempting to skip!), don't be afraid to ask for help.. go to office hours if your professor has them (most do i think), try asking classmates, google practice questions, etc.

as for papers i haven't actually started uni yet so i haven't had any, but it might be easier to find out when it needs to be turned in, and break it into little chunks and work on it a little at a time instead of cramming it into 1 or 2 days (this works for projects too!)

good luck! 

 

 

For me the classes weren't what was hard but keeping up my mental health was. Its easy to get depressed or to get too caught up in the social aspect of college. Also, be careful with who you chose to live with. Even if you're friends and you think you can live together, you should still be careful because a lot of friendships end after people start living together and its unneeded stress and drama.

 

 

It depends on what you want to study. Some majors are easy and some majors are hard.

thank you so much! 

[Suzy Quatro]

I think you should do great with that mentality and work ethic; you know getting worried and thinking you're particularly smart is a nice set up since it shows you care about your grades and you don't overrate your own capabilities, so you won't slack nor get over confident.

 

Like you said there are a lot of average people going to college and getting through just fine so that should be an indicator that you don't need to be a super genius with high IQ, it might seem difficult to some people but the reality is that a person with an average IQ can graduate from college and be a professional if they are dedicated and study enough.

 

The difficult itself would depends on the career itself, the university, the professor, etc. but overall I think most would struggle at the beginning until you get the hang on it. The only advice I would give you is to keep composure in the moments of pressure and don't get depressed or quit in subject, even if you're doing terrible, until the very end. You are there to learn and there shouldn't be anything you can't do if you work hard enough so keep aiming for good grades. There are going to be students who don't give a damm and there should also be some folks better than you, there's always better and smarter, but just concentrate on yourself and do the things that work better for you.