You're not in high school anymore.

Each year, thousands of freshmen start their academic careers at Penn State, but many of them do not know what to expect.

"College classes are very different than high school classes," Chinmgarum Ejiowhor (senior-health policy and administration) said.

Class sizes can vary from a 30-person English 15 course to a 700-person lecture in 100 Thomas. It takes time for some freshmen to adjust.

"High school had classes everyday and that made you get your homework done, but now in college we have a lot more freedom, you have to learn to time manage," Ejiowhor said.

College courses meet much less often than high school courses and students are expected to do outside work. Exams are not always during class time. Some are scheduled at night or even conducted online through the ANGEL course management system http://cms.psu.edu.

"Professors will not hold your hands; you are excepted to do what you have to do," Abby Burnett (freshmen-health and human development) said.

The days of cramming are over. You can't expect to learn three weeks of material for an exam in a few days, Mary Bojan, a chemistry professor, said.

Bojan said in high school science courses, the teachers give you all the answers and the students just "spit them back out."

College science courses are not just about memorizing, she said, they are about understanding the material.

There is more work that students have to do in college, and according to www.howtostudy.org, it is estimated that students have to put at least two hours of outside work for every credit hour of in-class lecture to be successful.

Bojan suggested that students should go to their professor's office hours or form study groups if they're having trouble with the material.

Some professors have noticed that first-year students are afraid to show their creativity in class.

"Students are afraid to express themselves when they write. They think English is all rules and will just write what they think the professor will want," Sean Moiles, English 15 instructor, said.

Dirk Mateer teaches a special section of Econ 002 that is just for first-year students. He said he notices that students are more motivated to be there, but they are not always prepared.

It takes some time for the students to get accustomed to how things work at the college level, he said.

"There is a learning curve," Mateer said.