Learn Your Terms

Confused by college lingo? Learn these essential terms and you can be sure you won’t be left out of the conversation!

Add/Drop Period: A one- or two-week period at the beginning of a semester when students may add classes to, or drop them from, their schedules without academic or financial penalty.

Audit Course: A course in which a student is enrolled, but is not required to participate for a grade. This option allows students to take elective courses without worrying about assignments or final grades.

Bursar’s Office: The office where students pay tuition and school fees. Here, students can check on the status of financial aid, scholarships and work-study payments against their accounts. The word “bursar” refers to a treasurer or financial business officer.

Dead Week: Also known as “reading period,” this scary-sounding term refers to the week before finals when classes are over and students are given time to study for final exams.

Resident Assistant (RA): The designated, residential life representative in a dorm controlled by the school. The RA is there to assist students living there with any issues and to enforce the rules governing that living space.

Syllabus: A course outline that lists the topics to be covered and a tentative timeline for lectures, assignments, tests and projects.