You will probably have a lot less contact hours
Unlike at school, where study is broken up across four terms, tertiary institutions may use a semester or trimester system. Each semester consists of approximately 12 weeks of classes plus exam periods. You may have studied five or six subjects at school; at tertiary level, you generally only study four subjects per semester if you are enrolled full time. The number of contact hours (hours you spend in classes each week) varies depending on the course you’re studying, but most students find they spend much less time at their tertiary institution then they did at school, often only two or three days a week. It is expected that students undertake further study at home — catching up on set readings, studying for exams or completing assignments. This extra time also gives students the chance to work part time or gain course-related work experience, such as an internship.
You will be surrounded by a wide range of different people
In school, your classmates were all roughly the same age and mostly from the same area. At tertiary level, students of all different ages and backgrounds will form your peer group. Some may come straight from high school while others will be mature age students returning to study. There may be some students who have transferred from a different institution or course, some who have completed a VET course or other pathway and some who may have already spent time working in the industry. The great thing about studying at tertiary level is that you will be surrounded by people who are equally passionate about your field as you are, and who may have similar hobbies and interests.