Understanding the University Jargon
We have put together an A to Z guide to help you understand what the university jargon actually means....
A| |B| |C| |D| |E ||F| |G| |H| |I |J| |K |L| |M| |N| |O| |P| |Q |R| |S| |T| |U ||V| |W |X|Y| Z
A
A Levels - A Levels are the exams students take at the end of school or college (further education) in England and Wales.
Alumni - Alumni is an association for all university graduates. By definition it means:
Alumnus n. (pl. alumni /-nee/; fem.) 'A former student of a particular school, college or university'. Alumni Associations exist to provide a structure for the development and strengthening of links between former students and the institution, at home and abroad. Southampton Solent University has a thriving and ever growing Alumni Association|, which strives to maintain lifelong links with former students, to celebrate their successes, provide support for their futures and promote contact with their lost friends and colleagues.
Athletic Union (Sports Union) - The student organisation that runs student sporting clubs and sometimes sporting facilities
B
Bursary - a scholarship or grant. Bursaries are normally financial awards to assist students while they attend higher education.
C
Campus - is the grounds and buildings of a university. Campus Universities are normally located outside of towns and cities and have all of the buildings and facilities of the university/ higher education institution on one site.
Clearing - this is the process offered by UCAS to allocate students places on courses where there are still vacancies. This system operates directly after students receive their A level results. Clearing is normally used by students if they have not got the grades/marks required by the university/ higher education institution they want to go to. However, this process can also be used to allow last minute applications to different institutions.
Colleges - there are different types of colleges, Sixth Form Colleges, Further Education Colleges and Higher Education Colleges. At Sixth Form and Further Education College you can study for A levels, BTEC, A2, AVCE or Diplomas.
D
Dean - the Dean is a senior member of university staff who is responsible for all matters regarding the operation of their faculty.
Degree - this is an academic qualification awarded after the satisfactory completion of a degree course. Degree courses are normally full time courses which last between 3 and 4 years. Different classes of degrees are awarded. The highest class of degree (the equivalent of an A* at GCSE) is 1st, following this you can achieve a 2:1, 2:2 or 3rd.
Dissertation - this is a long report or essay on a chosen subject that sets out the results of research carried out by a student or study of that subject. This is normally produced as part of the degree course (although in some subjects this is optional). At first degree level the dissertation can be anything between 5,000 and 20,000 words.
E
Elective - This is a course or subject which is freely open to the student to choose to study at university or college.
F
Faculty - A faculty is a group of academic departments that are grouped together for teaching and administrative purposes. Here at the Southampton Solent University we have 3 faculties:
Finals - 'Finals' is the name given to the final exams or the last exams students take at the end of their study.
Foundation Degrees - Foundation degrees are a new type of qualification that have been developed by the higher education sector in partnership with employers to ensure the skills they need are met. They can be studied in a variety of different ways e.g. full time, part time or through distance learning or work based learning. For more information go to the Foundation Degree| website.
Freshers - This is the name given to new students who have just entered university/higher education. Freshers Week is the name given to the activities run in the first couple of weeks to introduce new students to life in higher education. The activities introduce students to both the academic world and the student life, therefore it covers both social events and academic events e.g. tours of the library, information on referencing.
Further Education - this is education that follows the compulsory secondary school education where you can study for example A levels, AVCE, BTEC, Diplomas etc. (Higher Education follows Further Education).
G
Gap Year - this is where a student may decide to take a year's break between leaving school and starting further education or leaving further education and starting higher education. Students decide to take a gap year for many different reasons, e.g. to travel or work and save to support themselves during further/higher education.
Graduate - This is a person who has been awarded a degree from a university or college. While studying for a first degree a student is called an undergraduate and if you decide to undertake further study after completing a degree (e.g. master's degree or PhD) you will be a postgraduate student.
H
Halls of Residence - this is the term for buildings where students live. Most first year students live in Halls| either on the campus or close by. Halls of Residence usually consist of a number of large buildings containing separate rooms with a bed, table, chair etc and a shared kitchen and bathroom.
Higher Education - this involves study at a University or Institute of Higher Education. Most people studying at this level are aiming for a degree (BA, BSc, LLB etc), a Higher National Certificate (HNC) or a Higher National Diploma (HND).
Higher National Diploma (HND) - A HND is studied for two years full time or longer if part time. If you complete a HND you may wish to choose to 'top it up' to a degree, and for that you would have to complete another year of the course (if studied full time).
J
Jobshop - at Southampton Solent University we run a service called Jobshop. This service is designed to help our students obtain part time work while they are studying. For more information go to the Jobshop| homepage and you will see the type of vacancies that are advertised.
L
Lecture - this is one of the main teaching mechanisms in Higher Education. Lectures are normally larger in size than a regular school class and less interactive. (Seminars are more like school classes.)
Lecturer - This is the person who gives a lecture. By comparison a tutor is an academic who oversees or supervises the work of individual students (tutees).
M
Mature Student - this is a student over 21 years old. These students are often returning to education following a break and they come from all walks of life.
Modular - some courses are divided into modules and students are required to pass a number of these modules to successfully complete their degree programme. Modules can be compulsory or optional.
N
NUS - this stands for the National Union of Students. The NUS is the national body which represents and campaigns on behalf of students. To find out more go to the NUS webpage. |
O
Open Days - this is an opportunity for prospective students to find out more about the campus, courses and services at.
P
Postgraduate - This is a student who is doing a postgraduate degree, ie. they've already got a first or undergraduate degree and now they're doing another higher one such as a masters degree , a doctorate (PhD) or a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE).
Prospectus - this is a brochure that provides lots of information about a particular HE institution. The information includes the courses offered, activities they run and information about the local area in which the institution is based. If you would like a copy of the Southampton Solent University's prospectus then please go to our online prospectus request.
R
Reading Week - this is a week where there is no formal teaching, often seen by students as another holiday - but it's not! The idea is that students are given a week to concentrate on their studies, a perfect time to catch up with study if they have fallen behind
S
Semester - this is similar to a school term. There are normally 2 semesters from September to Christmas and the New Year to June.
Seminar - this is a teaching class, overseen by an academic often a lecturer, where students discuss a subject in more detail.
Societies (Soc) - these are clubs where people can get together to take part in sport or share a common interest, belief or religion e.g's, Athletics, Kickboxing, Sailing, Circus, Rock, Radio, Drama, Asian, Islamic, Christian to name but a few. You will find out more on the Solent Students' Union| website.
Student Loans - these are low interest loans provided by the government to help students pay for their study and living costs while they are in higher education. For more information go to the Student Loans Company website.|
Students' Union - Almost all colleges have a students' union (SU). An SU is an organisation run by students for students. The Students' Union can also be the building in which such services are housed. To find out more about what Solent Students' Union| has to offer just visit their website.
Summer Schools - these occur in the summer at Southampton Solent University and involve a number of Taster Sessions being run over a number of days. These summer schools are aimed at secondary school pupils and FE students. They can take place on a residential basis where students stay overnight in one of our Halls of Residence; or on a non-residential basis where students visit our university for a number of day visits.
T
Taster Sessions - are designed to give secondary school and FE students a flavour of higher education and the different subjects that can be studied e.g. robotics, fashion, sports, law, maritime etc.
Tuition Fees - these fees are for the cost of the teaching and support you will receive while attending higher education. They are set by the government and paid directly by the student or the student's local authority if the student is eligible for help with the fees. If you would like to know whether you would be entitled to help with tuition fees see our section -'What funding is available?'|
Tutor - An academic who oversees or supervises the work of individual students (tutees).
U
UCAS - The Universities & Colleges Admissions Service| is the organisation that handles most university applications for the UK. If a student wished to apply for a full time course at University, the student is required to apply through UCAS and can list up to 6 universities where they would like to study. If the university is happy to accept that student they will make the offer of a place normally subject to the student obtaining certain grades.
UCAS Extra - If a student applies to UCAS for a place in Higher Education and finds himself or herself without the offer of a place, UCAS Extra enables them to have an additional choice through UCAS. This means students do not have to wait until 'clearing' to continue to find a place. This procedure operates from March to June to universities with vacancies. Universities have a short time to consider the application and will make either make an offer or reject the application. If a student is rejected they can continue to make applications (to a maximum of 3) until June.
Undergraduate - this is what a student is called when they are studying for their first degree.
V
Vocational Course - this is a course that is intended to train students for a particular profession, career or job. They often involve practical experience in a work environment.
Back to top|