Chapter 5: Speaking The Language of College

Getting started in college can seem like an uphill battle. One of the first challenges a student can encounter is navigating a college website. In the attempt to get as much information as possible into the hands of current and future students, college websites are crammed full of information and language that may be new to the first-time college student. Trying to figure out how to get started can be confusing, even when the website says, “Steps To Enroll.” Registration, admission, enrollment… are they all the same thing? If you are registered, are you admitted and enrolled? Is enrollment in the college the same thing as enrollment in classes? And that’s just the beginning of the potential for confusion! How can a student know the answers to these questions?

Learning the “language of college” can be like having to learn yet another language and culture, one that everyone else already seems to know. Even though it can feel a little overwhelming at times, learning college terminology is helpful because it can help you understand how the procedures, policies, and hierarchies of higher education are organized.

Because of the time and expense of attending college, it is important to get the most out of your college experiences. To make progress on your degree or certificate, you may need to take some classes before others, with the consideration that some classes are only offered at some times of the year. Similarly, some classes require you to get a certain grade (GPA) in order to take the next class in the series. Understanding vocabulary like pre-requisties, co-requisites, and GPA, can help you plan and track your progress through your time in college.

Learning to speak the language of the college is part of learning the school’s culture. Most words are used in the same way, but it is important to pay attention to the context in which they are used and ask your professor or academic advisor if anything is unclear!

Commonly Used Academic Vocabulary

Below is a list of commonly used terminology. Without using the Internet or college catalog, see how many words you know the meaning of.

1. Discuss the meaning of each word with a partner.
2. Which words have you encountered before?
3. Are there any words you don’t know?
4. Are there any important words that are not on this list? Why are they important?

Commonly used academic vocabulary

Words about enrollment:

Admission

Student (ID) Number

Academic Year

Term

Quarter

Semester

Registration

Enrollment

Credit Hour/Unit

Course Number (CRN)

Words about grades

GPA

Grade Options

Pass/No pass

Graded option

Probation

Appeal

Words about finances

Tuition

Fee

Financial Aid

FAFSA

Stafford Loan

Scholarship

Grant

Federal Work Study

Student worker

Words about degree requirements

General Education/Gen Ed

Elective

Degree

Certificate

Career pathway

Transcript

Cohort

Learning Community

Major

Minor

Words about classes

Non-Credit/Continuing Education

Audit

College Level Course

Pre-College Level Course

Lower Division Course

Upper Division Course

Prerequisite

Co-requisite

Online

Hybrid

Synchronous/Asynchronous

Words about people in higher education

Instructor

Professor

Doctor

Academic advisor

Career advisor

Tutor

Dean

Provost

Words related to services

Disability resource center

Learning center

Career center

Registrar’s office