By Kota Yamane
There are many differences between university and high school in Japan. So, in this essay I will explain these differences. In addition, there are commonalities between high school and university, and I will explain those as well. Finally, I will explain how university has various risks that high school does not.
There are some commonalities between high school and university. Going to school, taking classes, and doing homework are common points between high school and college. And there are many club activities in both high school and university. There are about 20 club activities in each high school and university. So, we can make friends with common interests through club activities at university, just like in high school. Also, a common point between universities and high schools is we must take an entrance exam to enter the school. In this way, there are several common points between high school and university.
The difference between high school and university is the educational systems. The length of class time in high school is about sixty minutes, but in university it is ninety minutes. University class times are about thirty minutes longer than high school class times. Moreover, high school classes are determined by teachers. On the other hand, students choose the classes they want to take at university. Also, there is a difference in the length of summer vacation. Summer vacation is longer in university than in high school. High school is one month but university is two months. High school classes place emphasis on learning a wide range of academic subjects, while university classes place emphasis on learning specialized fields. Additionally, university students have two months of summer vacation. So, they can study abroad. Therefore, they have more opportunities for cross-cultural exchange than high school students.
