Students' views of college

Kids at my school have a weird view of college. They've heard something of my extended trip thru higher education and are amazed that somebody could choose to stay in school for longer than all people are required to go to school. When they here I went to a big school they immediately light up and figure me for a former drunken party animal as they've heard how great those college parties are. I try to use the opportunity to tell them that, yeah, I had a lot of fun at some parties but it wasn't all the time; there was a lot of hard work to be done, too, and the partying came after that.

But the other day a student asked me, "Do you get into trouble if you get in a fight in college?" I explained that yes, you'd get in trouble with the police, but the question was just weird; the kid had no idea that the adult world is what he'll be in after high school. He gets into a fight at school now, he's home for a few days; why shouldn't college be any different?