Anyone from UBC, UT, UA, or UC??

You're right there is a big difference between high school and university. That is why many people attend their local community college for that first year. The classes are smaller and you can get attention from the instructors in a more rapid manner. There is also the hard but true fact that you are no longer "a big fish in a little pond" and are in classes with people who have worked just as hard or harder than you to be there, so there will be a higher/harder grading curve to deal with.

Nursing school these days includes a lot of "self learning" modules. I keep hearing that it's like doing a correspondence class in a classroom. Yes, there are papers to research and write. University and college years are all about research, reading and learning for yourself.

Perhaps you would be better returning to Calgary and going to Mount Royal for a semester or two.