In recent years, although tertiary education is certainly popular among Hong Kong students. It is unlikely that all students will be able to easily learn the ways of studying when starting university. Therefore, we need to know what the big differences are between university and school study to adapt our ways of studying more effectively to achieve tertiary education. In this essay I will try to examine their differences in terms of characteristics of teachers and students, time management and motivation of students, as well as assessment methods. First, the characteristics of teachers and students in school and university have great differences. The school's teachers work hard to translate textbooks word for word from limited information, and whether students understand the lessons or not, they may passively copy the information and refer to their notes later at home and memorize them. However, college students are no longer allowed to sit silently and negatively during class. They are asked to discuss academic issues or collaborate with other classmates on projects. They are required to find sources, collect information and put it in order. As Marshall and Rowland (1993, 34) pointed out, "the ability to think critically is a generic skill that is expected to be acquired in university education and transferred into everyday life, future or current work." Therefore, college tutors who offer not only textbook instruction but also help students think critically and independently by encouraging them. Furthermore, students can choose and adapt their own learning style regardless of the free choice of materials provided at the university. Another important difference in students' time management which is mainly influenced by students' motivation in school and college. Student motivation comes from parents and teachers, who reward or punish students for continuing their studies. It is unexpected for students to plan or do anything other than following the teachers' timetable and syllabus. When a student undertakes graduate studies at the university level, more self-motivated and independent learning is required. For example, plan a learning program that takes into account the time available for study. As Marshall and Rowland (1993, 41) have shown that, ¡¥if students study at a distance in tertiary education it is necessary to pay particular attention to setting priorities and balancing some time between work and study, family and social life.