
Next Level College Application
University Freshman Vocabulary

Advisor
Assists students with planning class schedules as well as their overall programs of study.
Alumni
People who have graduated from the institution.
Credit Hour (semester, quarter, trimester hours)
A unit representing usually 50 minutes of class per week.
Dean
An academic administrator at the university with responsibility for students or faculty.
Electives
Courses students may select to meet total graduation requirements outside of a major or minor.
Fraternities/Sororities
Social organizations that are active in various activities. Through a process of mutual selection called Rush (which takes place during a specialized period of time), students may be offered the opportunity to "pledge" a certain one. Not all colleges offer these organization's.
Full-time Student
An undergraduate student registered for 12 or more semester credits of a graduate student enrolled in nine or more semester credits or completing a thesis or dissertation.
Each school may have a slightly different definition of what full-time means.
General Education Requirements
Usually required during the first two years of college, a list of courses from various academic departments that a student must take in order to graduate.
Humanities
Relating to courses offered in the study of fine art, philosophy, foreign languages, religion and literature. Most undergraduate degrees require a certain number of humanities credit hours.
Major/minor
This term is a student's chosen field of study. It requires the successful completion of a specified number of credit hours. This term is designated as a specific number of credit hours in a secondary field of study.
Office Hours
Time set aside by faculty to make themselves available on an appropriate, regular, student-convenient basis.
Online Courses
Classes that meet via computers, through an online learning management system. Students log in to attend class. There they have access to course lectures, receive assignments, and correspond with classmates and instructors.
Prerequisites
Courses, test scores, and/or grade level that a student must complete before being allowed to take certain specific courses.
Registration
The process of enrolling for classes and getting approved.
Resident Advisor
A college student personnel officer, graduate or upper-class student who lives in a dormitory to support and advise the dorm residents.
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