Making the Transition Between High School and College

With the GCSE exam season over for another year, students can feel both relieved and proud. It’s no small feat. GCSE exams are undoubtedly one of the most challenging periods of time that many young people will have had to face in their lives to date.

We don’t want to scare anybody here… but life does have a habit of throwing all sorts of challenges at you. These can come left, right and centre – at all sorts of moments.

They come at you thick and fast. And hot on the heels of the exam period and results day comes the transition between high school and college.

So, we thought we’d put together some key pointers about making the transition to college life seamless and straightforward.

First Things First: You’ve Done It All Before

First off, it’s worth thinking about this: you’ve seen and done it all before!

Okay, so that’s not strictly true – but you have gone through (and survived and thrived) the transition from primary to secondary school.

Whichever way you look at it, the move from primary school to ‘big school’ is way more traumatic than the move from high school to college.

Yes, you are bound to be a bit nervous and possibly a little anxious. However, that’s completely natural and to be expected.

There’ll be a few weeks of semi-confusion as you get to know your new surroundings. But once you’ve found your bearings, you’ll be as right as rain.

Things Are Done Differently at College

Although most young people know it already, many are still thrown a little bit. Which is understandable by just how differently things are done at college.

Obviously, there’s no uniform. There will no teachers waiting on corridors to tell you to take your coats off. Yep, you are finally treated like adults!

The thing is – although all of this is great – it also means that you expected to act like an adult too.

And while colleges offer a great range of support and guidance for their students, it doesn’t really compare to the level of support most students get at high school.

There will always be somebody to see and somewhere to go if you need some help, but you are expected to stand on your own two feet much more at college.

The Challenge of A Levels and T Levels

Another worry that many students have about starting college is a simple and obvious one:

Will I be able to cope with A Levels?

Most students will be moving up from Level 2 qualifications to Level 3. Of course, these are . bit more demanding. Which is why many students find the initial step up a bit of challenge

The vast majority go on to cope comfortably with the higher level of work. But you will need to apply effort and determination if you are to succeed at this level.

But you’ve got this!

Enjoy college and good luck!