academic advisor - the advisor will guide and advise, helping
the student to make informed choices, but it will be up to the student to
complete the recommended academic plan. This is a partnership and the student
bears responsibility for carrying through.
ACT - one of the two standardized tests
accepted by most colleges and universities for admissions purposes, the other one being the SAT.
admissions test -
associate's degree - a degree that generally takes two years of study
and is awarded by a community, junior, or business college.
audit - to test out of taking a
college class. If you feel like you know
everything that the class is teaching, you might want to audit it.
B.A. or B.S. - B.A. stands for "bachelor of
arts," and B.S. stands for "bachelor of science." Both degrees
can be earned at four-year colleges.
baccalaureate - A farewell sermon to graduating seniors in
conjunction with their commencement ceremonies.
bachelor's degree - an academic degree which usually takes four years
to earn and is awarded by a college or university. This could be a BA (Bachelors of Arts) or BS
(Bachelors of Science)
catalog - the list of courses
offered, with times, places, and professors.
Now this is online, but it used to be a big book.
CAHSEE - test that all high
schoolers in California
college application essay - essay turned in with
application on a topic of the college's choice
commencement - the graduation ceremonies held at the end of
each year
common application - a standard application
form accepted by all colleges that are members of the Common Application
association. You can fill out this application once and submit it to any one —
or several — of the 475-plus colleges that accept it.
community college - a nonresidential junior college offering courses
to people living in a particular area
commuter student - a student who lives off-campus.
convocation -
ceremony where the new class is officially welcomed and the academic
year formally begins.
course catalog - sometimes called the College Catalog, is an
important tool for understanding the college’s course offerings and academic
and administrative policies and procedures.
course numbers - the number next to the
course name, which also denotes the level of the course
courses - classes in college
credit hour - courses are usually measured in credit
hours, with the average being three or four. A credit hour is equivalent to
about 1 hour of class time per week. Students may refer to how many credit
hours or credits they are carrying for a particular semester. Credit hours are
awarded to a student upon passing a course.
credit hour - a unit of academic credit
curriculum - composed of those classes prescribed or
outlined by an institution for completion of a program of study leading to a
degree or certificate.
dean - someone traditionally in charge of a major
area of a college; for example, the Dean of the College or the Dean of
Students.
declare - to say formally what one
is studying. Some colleges require their
students to declare before they are accepted.
degree - the various rewards for
completing coursework
department - responsible for like
fields of study; for example, chemistry
department
dormitory - a college or university
building containing living quarters for students (more commonly called
"dorm")
double-major - getting two degrees at
the same time
drop/add - the terms used for
getting out of or getting into a class
enrollment - the number of people
enrolled, typically at a school or college
faculty - the teachers at a school
FAFSA - Free Application for
Federal Student Aid: application that
students must complete to qualify for federal aid.
Federal Work-study - a federally funded program in which students
take campus jobs as part of their financial aid package. To participate in a
work-study program, students must complete the FAFSA.
FERPA - the Family Educational Rights and Privacy
Act is a federal law which protects the privacy of student educational records.
Although FERPA gives parents certain rights regarding their child’s educational
records, it is important for parents to realize that these rights transfer to
the student once he turns eighteen or attends a school beyond high school.
final exams - final exams are given during the final week
of the semester. The dates and times may be different than regular class time
and are listed in the course schedule or the instructors' syllabus.
financial aid - assistance given in the form of money to students who
are unable to afford to pay for school
first generation students - students who are the first in their
immediate family to attend college. Colleges understand that first generation
students may have particular issues in learning about and adjusting to the
world of college.
full-time status - full time students must be
enrolled in 12 or more credit hours, usually three to five classes.
fraternity - an organization or males that college
students apply to ("pledge") and have to be accepted chosen
into. Offers housing and social
opportunities. Called by Greek letters. Part of the "Greek system." Hazing has been an issue.
general education those courses which must be completed by all
degree candidates regardless of major.
This is usually done freshman and sophomore years. Also known as "GE" or "general
ed."
graduate - a person who has a
bachelors degree
grant - money given to a student
with no strings attached, usually applied for or won through achievement.
hard/soft sciences - the degree to which a
scientific field can be proven objectively
housing - any place to live, called
"student housing" on college.
humanities - the classes literature,
philosophy, and the fine arts.
international students - foreign-born students that are not United States
lecture/lab - the two main types of
class. Lectures are "sit and
learn", lab (laboratory) is learn by experimenting and seeing.
liberal arts - studies intended to provide general knowledge and
intellectual skills (rather than occupational or professional skills)
loan - money given to someone
with the promise that it will be paid back with interest
major - the principal field of
study of a student at a university
meal plan -
pre-paid account for student's meals while at college. All residential
students are required to have a meal plan.
mid-term exams - during the middle of each semester,
instructors may give mid-term exams that test students on the material covered
to that point.
minor - a college or university
student's declared secondary field of study or specialization during his
undergraduate studies.
off-campus housing - any place to live not
provided by the college
on-campus housing - any place to live
provided on the campus by the college
orientation - a vital part of the college experience with
activities designed to help new students adjust and familiarize themselves with
the college.
Pell Grant Program - the largest federal grant program.
Eligibility and award amounts are determined by the college based on
established federal guidelines.
Perkins Loan Program - federally-insured loans funded by the federal
government and awarded by the school. The loans feature a low interest rate and
are repayable over an extended period.
personal statement - an essay the student
writes about themselves that they send to colleges that require it
post-graduate - courses or degrees taken
past a bachelors degree
pre-req - shor form of pre-requisite, these are
courses that students are required to take prior to registering for a
particular course. Some courses have no pre-requisites while others do.
private college - private schools, also known as independent
schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments
PSAT - a SAT preperation test
usually taken in one's sophomore or junior year of high school
public college - a public university is a university that is
predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational
government
quarter system - the system some colleges
use of dividing the year into three parts
RA - resident assistants are trained student
leaders responsible for supervising a group of resident students. They can
assist with questions, social issues, roommate issues, or other problems that
might arise. They also assist in enforcing college policies within the
residence halls.
registrar - the person in charge of
students' academic records.
registration - the process of becoming officially enrolled
in classes for a semester. This begins with selecting courses and ends at the
beginning of every semester by completing necessary paperwork and
"checking in."
research institution - a university that does
research. The most prestigious
universities all do research.
room and board
- the place where you live and the meals that you eat
SAT - standardized tests
accepted by most colleges and universities for admissions purposes
scholarship - grant or payment made to
support a student's education, awarded on the basis of academic or other
achievement
semester system - the system some colleges
use of dividing the year into two parts
sorority - an organization or females that college
students apply to ("pledge") and have to be accepted chosen
into. Offers housing and social
opportunities. Called by Greek
letters. Part of the "Greek
system." Hazing has been an issue.
students
outside of the classroom.
syllabus - the syllabus is an outline or overview of
the course distributed by the instructor at the beginning of the course. The
syllabus often includes requirements, objectives, textbook information, contact
information for the instructor, and often a schedule of assignments and topics.
Students are always encouraged to read the syllabus carefully and refer to it
often throughout the course.
technical college - an adult educational institution providing courses
focusing on agriculture,
applied sciences, engineering, information technology, etc
applied sciences, engineering, information technology, etc
trade school - a secondary
school teaching the skilled trades
transcript - this is a list of all the courses a student
has taken with the grades that the student earned in each course. The official
transcript is maintained by the Registrar.
transcript - a reproduction of a
written record (e.g. of a legal or school record)
TA/graduate assistant - a person, often a
student, who helps the professor, or even teaches a class.
tuition - the amount of money charged for instruction.
It does not include room and board.
tuition - the fee paid for
instruction (especially for higher education)
undergraduate - a university student who
has not yet received a bachelor's degree
vocational
school
withdrawal - to formally remove yourself from a class or
from all classes for a semester (through the Registrar's Office). There are
established procedures for doing so with possible financial costs.
