U.S. University glossary for admitted students: Campus life decoded

Even though everyone understands and converses in English, one could still get caught up in campus lingo that is relatively new to freshmen

Life as an international student in the United States can be an exhilarating journey. Indeed, U.S. campus culture has its own distinctive norms, traditions, and customs.

Even though everyone understands and converses in English, one could still get caught up in campus lingo that is relatively new to freshmen. Here’s a helpful list of words and phrases that can help decode student life, both academically and socially.

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All-nighter:
An all-nighter refers to a time when study or an assignment takes up all night to finish. If you see a student chugging coffee at 2 a.m., you can be fairly certain they are pulling an all-nighter.

Audit:
The term refers to taking classes without having to receive a credit or grade. Students can sometimes be interested in fields of study but want to take it up without the perils of an exam or the pressures of a grade and they may “audit a course” or take a class without credit.

Brown Bag seminar:

Lunch, munch, and food for thought! In other words, an informal presentation where the participants bring their own lunch, often packed in brown bags. This tradition has evolved over time and is termed a Brown Bag Seminar. Clubs, societies, academic departments on university campuses often offer such seminars on interesting topics that bring together students, academicians and industry practitioners from various backgrounds.

Bursar:
The official responsible for disbursing scholarships, handling tuition fees, and other financial transactions and students can expect to receive emails from the “Bursar’s office” on these aspects.

Cram:

A heavy-duty intense session of last-minute studying to ensure you have covered all aspects of the curriculum that will likely show up on the exams the next morning. In short, cramming is what students do when they pull an all-nighter (refer to #1)

Croak:

To croak is to do abysmally in exams or to fail a test. Students croak on their tests when they don’t study well.

Designated School Official:
Apart from finding their signatures on the I-20s, the DSO (Designated School Official) is the person who guides international students on F and M visas on maintaining their student status in the United States and well as on practical training opportunities.

Digits:

If someone asks for your digits, they are referring to your phone number.

Greek Life:
U.S. colleges have a tradition of fraternities (for men) and sororities (for women) that facilitate philanthropic, leadership, and related activities, fostering ties of friendship and community. Since they are mostly named after Greek letters, this is collectively termed ‘Greek Life.’

Intramural:
Sports leagues formed within the same campus, where students will compete against each other without having the need to go professional.

Resident Adviser:

An RA (Resident Adviser) is a student leader, often living in campus housing, who coordinates life in residential halls, and ensures a safe and supportive residential environment.

Roomie:
Roomie, slang for roommate, is the one with whom you share your room or apartment.

Scarf:

The activity of eating your food at a great speed. Students scarf when they have back-to-back classes without a lot of breaks in between.

Picking up U.S. college lingo can be akin to learning a new language! However, as it becomes part of a student’s daily vocabulary it helps them assimilate into the local culture, giving them a feeling of having a home away from home.

– U.S. Consulate General Hyderabad