Easy
The first step is requesting admission to an institution of higher education. Usually, there is a form to fill out by a certain deadline; sometimes there is an application fee to pay.
application
Usually, this refers to the September-June school year. In some cases, it refers to the entire year.
Academic year
If a student demonstrates certain knowledge and abilities, the college may negate a course prerequisite
waiver
Specialization in one academic discipline or field of study
Major
A formal agreement between high schools and colleges or between community/technical colleges and baccalaureate institutions, designed to make it easy for students to move from one educational level to the next without any gaps or repetition in their coursework.
articulation
The land and buildings that a college or university uses for instruction or student services.
campus
Approval for a student to attend an educational institution. The enrollment process usually involves an application form and may require transcripts or other supporting documents.
admission
A member of the college faculty or staff who assists students with planning quarter or semester schedules as well as their overall programs of study. This person may also help with career planning.
advisor
A diploma earned after successfully completing a required program of study in a community or technical college. It typically requires 60 or more credits and takes at least two years of full-time study.
Associate’s degree
The ceremony at the end of an academic year when students receive their degrees or diplomas
commencement
A temporary grade is given to a student who is doing satisfactory work but is forced by illness or another emergency to miss an exam or a major assignment. The instructor and student arrange how and when the student will complete the work and have the "I" changed to a final letter grade.
Incomplete grade
The specific courses that an individual student is taking or plans to take for a given semester or quarter
Class Schedule
A method of determining a student’s knowledge or skill level, often taken to find his or her best placement or starting level in a series of courses in english, math or reading.
assessment
Refers to all the information the college might keep regarding a student; it includes registration activity (enrollment, withdrawal, etc.), grades, payments, awards received, financial aid applications and award notices, and notes on disciplinary actions, as well as address, phone number, and student identification number.
records
The total credit value of the courses a student is currently enrolled in.
Credit load
A unit of measure for college work. Generally speaking, one credit hour represents one hour of classroom attendance each week for one term, plus the study time, homework, etc. that goes along with it.
credit
A planned sequence of instruction on a particular topic; may include class meetings, lectures, readings, demonstrations, exercises, assignments, examinations, etc.; offered repeatedly to different groups of students.
course
Courses designed to create a foundation for students’ understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures and modes of inquiry. These courses intend to impart common knowledge and intellectual concepts to students and to develop in them the necessary skills every educated person should possess.
General education courses
A student who has not yet earned a bachelor's degree; also refers to the courses and instructional programs such a student enrolls in.
undergraduate
Courses or instructional programs which do not require extensive homework or examinations and which do not offer college credit. Students frequently take these kinds of courses for basic skills improvement, job training, career enhancement, or personal enrichment.
noncredit
An arrangement that allows a student to earn college credit through individual study and research is usually planned with and supervised by a faculty member.
Independent study
A rank conferred by a college or university and earned by a student who has successfully completed specified courses and requirements (compare with a certificate, which usually requires less time and coursework).
degree
The courses required to complete a particular degree or certificate
program
A course that must be completed (often with a certain minimum grade) or a skill that must be demonstrated before a student can enroll in a more advanced course.
prerequisite
Certification that a school or an instructional program meets standards set by an outside reviewing organization. Many forms of financial aid are available only to students attending these institutions.
accreditation