Tufts Blogs

This blog will highlight a few, potentially unexpected things that you might have to get used to when you start college.

1. Attendance

High School teachers usually make sure that attendance is taken daily, but that is not always the case for college professors. There are professors and TA’s (teaching assistants) who stress attendance and even make it part of you final grade, but there are also professors who never take attendance. Be sure to read the syllabus so you’re aware of what the expectations around attendance are.

2. Office Hours

Office Hours are designed as a way for students to meet with professors outside of class hours. Many teachers simply leave their office doors open during this time with the expectation that students will take time to visit if they have a question. Other professors may ask students to send an e-mail in advance.

3. Titles

In high school, most students refer to the teachers as Ms. or Mr., but in college you’ll usually refer to them as 'Professor [last name].'

4. Flexibility in Schedule

College does away with much of the structure you experience in high school. For example, you no longer sit in class for 8 hours straight…unless you want to. College affords you more flexibility in choosing when to take your courses and you will have more voice in choosing the classes with which you will fill your schedule. Some students create their schedule so that they have an ample amount of time between classes in order to grab food, rest, or take care of other responsibilities. Some students schedule their classes so that their Fridays are free and have three-day weekend. While I cannot guarantee you will always have your ideal schedule, I can guarantee that you will have more range and options than when you were in highschool.

5. Abundance in Opportunity & Time Management

You’ll be able to wade through many options for extracurricular activities and clubs. That being said, you may need to practice time management to make sure you get your assignments completed on time.

6. Career Center

You will have access to a Career Center where they can help you fully utilize your resume and get closer to the opportunities that most interest you. This may seem daunting, but these services exist to help you, so be sure to make use of them!

7. Advisers

Your high school might have advisers, college counselors, or guidance counselors. In college, you will also have a few advisers who serve a similar purpose – they want to help you make the most of your time on campus, get what you need for your major, and give you tips and advice for life post-Tufts. Students can have pre-major advisers, pre-professional advisers, major advisers, as well as thesis advisers.

8. Residence Halls

You are going to have many, many new neighbors once you come to college. This might take some  time getting used to, as with anything involving many personalities, some uncomfortable moments might arise. Thankfully, you will also have first-year advisers who are there to help residence halls members build community and make the most of the residence hall setting.

Those are a few of the uncomfortable moments that come to mind – hopefully those moments will be at a minimun and you can fully enjoy both the college experience and learn a great deal toward about yourself, your major, and whatever passions bloom over your 4 years.