Hello everyone!

We are sure you woke up today with the words ‘Thank God it’s Friday!” on your mind and we hope a part of it was because you were looking forward to the FWC Foreign Students Friday! Here we are again with another engaging post for all the international aspirants across the globe, hoping to go to a top college or school in the US for study. One of the biggest challenges that international students face while studying abroad is communicating well with students, professors and others people there. If your fear is about getting confused with all the different terms while your stay abroad, this glossary will help you understand the US campus talk.

 
Admission Office – The office responsible for admitting students to the institution.

Adjunct Faculty - Faculty members who teach part-time without appointments in the regular faculty.

Ace - To do very well, receive the grade of an “A”. Example: “The teacher handed back our quiz and I aced it”

Achievement Tests (ACH) - Subject examinations, administered by the College Board, used to measure academic achievement and for student placement.

All-Nighter - To put off studying until the night before an exam or deadline. Example: “I thought I have to pull an all-nighter to cram for the mid term the nest day.”

Baccalaureate- Bachelor’s degree

Bachelor’s Degree- The first university degree awarded upon the completion of an undergraduate curriculum. The degrees are usually known as ‘bachelor of arts’ or a ‘bachelor of science’.

Bounce - To leave. Example: “I have to bounce— I have to go home to study.”

Core curriculum- General education requirements set as a defined series of interdisciplinary courses that must be taken by all undergraduates enrolled in degree programs at an institution.

Cut - To purposely miss class. Example: “After lunch I was tempted to cut my afternoon class but since it was an easy class, I decided to go anyway.”

Dual Degree - A Program of study in which a student receives two degrees from the same institution.

Elective- An academic course chosen by the student from a set of options, as opposed to a required course.

Grade Point Average (GPA): The average of grades earned in all courses taken during a term divided by the number of credits

Freshman- (Alternatives: frosh, newbie, or freshie) A first-year student in college or university.

Have a good one! - Short for “Have a good day/evening.”

Homey, Homes or Homeboy - Generally refers to a close friend, usually a male friend who exhibits strong loyalty. Example: “Jack and I go way back — he’s my homey.”

Major- A college or university student’s main field of specialization during his or her undergraduate studies.

Minor- Secondary focus of a student’s studies

Mid-term - Exam given in the middle of a term or semester to measure students’ progress and comprehension of course material.

Peace or Peace Out - A friendly phrase to say goodbye. Example: “Peace out, guys. I’m going home.”Junior - A student in the penultimate(usually third) year of college or university.

Provost - The chief academic officer of an institution.

Senior - A student in the last (usually fourth) year at a college or university.

Sophomore - A student in the second year of study at a college or university.

Work-study - Programs that allow students to work, often on campus, as part of their financial aid package.

For a bigger list to understand the jargons of US education system, you may visit the Glossary of United States Educational Terminology. Hope you actively took part in the “my student video” contest and if that’s not enough, a whole new contest is waiting for you on the “I dream of ivy league” page aimed at giving applicants and current students in foreign universities a place to talk about their experience, which we sponsor. Keep playing!