By Haku Matsutani
Both high school and college students are expected to obtain knowledge. They go to school, to attend classes and meet their peers. However, they are worlds apart.
The life of high school students is similar across Japan. In high school, students take courses that are mostly decided by their schools. They can choose concentrations: humanity or science, but their timetables are pretty much fixed. Everyone has the same schedule. Also, high school students often required to wear uniforms, which are usually formal and designated by their schools. Some schools do not permit students to put on even short or colorful socks. Not only clothes, but also their hair styles are usually limited; they are required to keep a clean hair style. They are not allowed to color their hair, or put on make-up. They are not supposed to show their individuality though hair or make-up.
In contrast, the life of college students is free. College students have more flexibility in creating their schedules and choosing their courses. Of course, there are some required courses, but they can usually choose course they want to take. , College are more expected to take responsibility for choosing their own learning than high school students, and their schedules are all different. Also, college students are allowed to wear their own clothes when they go to school. There are no regulations which limit what to wear. They can change their hair color and put of make-up, too. They can express their own individuality.
In addition, high school students and university students have different approaches to learning. In high school, students often focus on their grades or getting good scores in examinations, so they would be motivated by external factors. Also, they rely on their teachers and parents to guide them to the right course. While high school students might learn class subjects for getting high scores in exams, university students choose their courses by themselves and learn class subjects which they choose themselves. University students are expected to be more independent in their learning. They are motivated by their own interests, so they usually go to university to learn specialized areas or academic topics. University students develop a deeper level of understanding or to pursue their strong, academic interests.
In summary, there are some clear differences between high school students and university students. At the point of scheduling classes and wearing clothes. University students have more freedom than high school students. However, they need to be more self-directed and independent.
