Comparing university and college: A personal experience  

After graduating last month from the University of Ottawa and Algonquin College, I finally had the time to reflect on the past four years of my post-secondary journey. The journalism program was a four-year joint program between the two institutions, and looking back​,​ I noticed many differences.  

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​​​​My University Experience ​​​ 

My first two years of university, which coincided with the pandemic years, were a mix of online and in-person lectures. One of my first classes was on Zoom, and another was in an eerie classroom where we were five feet apart, wearing masks. Eventually, the restrictions lightened, which made the environment more welcoming.  

But within the academic details of my two years at university, I sat through hours of theory-based lectures, with no hands-on work, and the GPA was out of 10. I felt like I wasn’t learning as much through their curriculum. I had a few asynchronous classes, which seemed useless because it was just teaching yourself the material instead of a professor.  

The course enrollment process was odd since the sequence required taking fourth-year classes in the second year, with the prerequisites being waived. Nonetheless, besides the compulsory courses, I took some very miscellaneous classes that didn’t have a relation to journalism. I also found myself enrolling and dropping courses that I didn’t like or knew that I wouldn’t do well in. The fourth-year courses had a graduate professor and soon-to-be graduates, which definitely made a difference in furthering my education.  

There weren’t many assignments, but they were heavily weighted task-wise and grade-wise. Usually, it would be three major assignments per course, whether it was papers, exams or a combination of both, each worth 30 per cent minimum. The deadlines for these assignments would be during the midterm and final exam periods.  

There were high-pressure moments because of the grading scheme, and it would be especially difficult and more stressful if the first assignment didn’t go well. I found myself stronger at writing papers compared to tests. I ended up having a mixture of numerical grades by the end.  

Overall, it was a decent experience. I learned about writing research papers, essays and completing presentations and group projects. But those two years were completely different from my two years at college.  

​​​​My College Experience​​​ 

At college, the GPA was out of four, and there was immediate hands-on work. I also didn’t have to choose my courses; there was a sequence set up for students and their specific programs. There was only one online class that I took, and the only courses I had to choose from were electives, which happened twice. All the courses that were part of the sequence were mandatory.  

However, I took more courses per semester at college than at university. In comparison to five courses per semester, I was taking a minimum of six courses, with, in some cases, a maximum of eight.  

The ‘compensation’ for the number of courses was the major difference in the amount and weight of assignments. Assignments were a maximum of 30 per cent, while the others would be worth as little as five to 10 per cent. It wasn’t the end of the world if an assignment went badly, but the deadlines were tight. There would be at least one thing due by the next class, and in my final year, there were multiple things due every day.  

Instead of having a more ‘laid back’ semester, it was more overwhelming and eye-opening because it was easier to fall behind, while having a bunch of assignments flying at you at once. But with those challenges, it defined and strengthened my work ethic and time management abilities. I learned to thrive in high-pressure situations while maintaining my composure.  

The assignments were visual and hands-on, making the learning experience for me easier to comprehend and enjoy. Additionally, much of the work had me out in the field, which was refreshing since I had spent two years in lecture halls.  

All in all, I found college to be better suited for my academic journey. Grade-wise, I did way better than at university; however, that isn’t the most important part. I gained way more experience and felt more prepared for my career because of college.