Differences Between University And School

In recent years, although tertiary education is certainly popular among Hong Kong students. It is unlikely that all students can easily catch the ways of studying at starting university. Therefore, we need to know actually what great differences between studying at university and school in order to adjust our ways of studying more effective to achieve the tertiary education. In this essay, I will try to examine their differences in terms of the characteristic of teachers and students, students time management and motivation as well as the modes of assessment

Firstly, the characteristic of teachers and students in school and at university has great differences. The school teachers dismantle to translate the textbooks word-by-word from limited information-based, and whether the students understand the lessons or not, they can passively copy down the information and refers to their notes later at home and memorizes them. However, the university students are no longer allowed to sit quietly and negatively throughout the class. They are being demanded to discuss academic matters or cooperate with other classmate to perform projects.

They are require to find sources, gathering information and put them into order. As Marshall and Rowland (1993, 34) pointed out, the ability to think critically is a generic skill that are expected to acquire in the undergraduate education and transfer to daily life, future or current work. Therefore, the tutors at university who offer not only textbook instructions but also helps students to think critically and independently by encouragement. Besides, students can choose and adjust their own learning style independently from freely choices of materials provided at university.

Another important difference in students time management that is mainly affected by the learners motivation in school and at university. The motivation of school students is comes from parents and teachers, who reward or punish students for keeping up their studies. Students are unexpected to plan or do anything besides follow the timetable and study schedule from teachers. When a student moves on to undertake university study at undergraduate level, there is demanded to be more self-motivated and independent learning. Such as plan a learning programme that takes into consideration time available for study.

As Marshall and Rowland (1993, 41) shown that, if students are studying at a distance in tertiary education are needed to be particularly careful in setting priorities and balance a certain time between work and study, family and social life. It is important to manage time efficiently to achieve satisfactory results. The final difference point in assessment procedures. In school, students are judged largely on the grades they achieve in examinations for gaining admission to higher education. On the other hand, university students are judged mainly on their continuously assessed course work, not only by their performances in examinations.

In this essay, I have attempted to identify and explain how great differences between studying in school and at university in terms of teaching and learning style, students motivation and time management, and the modes of assessment. I found that when students moves on to undertake the tertiary education. This means, they has reached adulthood and becomes an independent and self-motivated learners. They should accommodate the suitable learning style and good time management for themselves to achieve the satisfactory results.

Marshall and Rowland (1993, 41) described that, each discipline or body of knowledge is a culture in its own right with its own discourse V its own language and vocabulary and its own methodologies for choosing, analysing, critiquing, interpreting, presenting and using this knowledge. Thus, when start tertiary study enter not only the overall culture of the institution but the culture of the discipline in which are intend to study. Independence and the exercise of initiative are both essential qualities in a good university student.