Mm, I concur that science is very different in university compared to high school. I transferred to a different degree after studying BSci @ UNSW for a year.
They're basically an outline of what you should know, or what you should have achieved by the end of the unit. They aren't as heavily 'promoted' as in high school, but they give a good indication of what is expected of you.
At times like this it would be appropriate to grow up and accept the fact that no one will ever agree on topics such as this - so why bother? As long as you're happy and content with your choice of university and degree, who cares what everyone else thinks?