Academic vocabulary
A short written assignment completed during a course to evaluate progress
Coursework
To start learning something from the beginning.
Start from scratch
A person who studies for a PhD.
Doctoral student
Learning by doing practical activities rather than theory.
Hands-on learning
Failing to achieve the required grade to pass a course.
Fail
Studying something in great detail, often for a degree.
Specialize in
To continue working hard even when it’s difficult.
Stick with it
The list of sources used in academic writing.
Bibliography
Memorizing information through repetition.
Rote learning
Temporarily being removed from university because of poor performance.
Academic probation
A formal talk given to a group of students by a university teacher.
Lecture
To quickly improve your knowledge about something you’ve forgotten.
Brush up on
A university teacher with a permanent position.
Professor
When students take charge of their own progress and goals.
Independent learning
Feeling mentally tired due to too much studying.
Burnout
The process of checking students’ performance through exams, essays, etc.
Evaluation
To succeed by your own effort, without help.
Learn the ropes
A written summary of research findings, often published in journals.
Academic paper
Studying or training using both online and in-person methods.
Blended learning
When students are compared using the same standards or tests.
Standardized testing
A set of standards or principles used to judge the quality of something.
Criteria
To understand or remember something very well.
Sink in
A public defense of a PhD dissertation.
Viva (or oral defense)
The speed or difficulty someone experiences when learning something new.
Learning curve
The unfair advantage some students have due to wealth or background.
Educational inequality