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Your Cheat Sheet to College Lingo

Don’t understand any of the college lingo your student is using? This list of terms will have you up to speed in no time.

College Lingo

A B C D F G H I M P R S T U
There are currently 10 terms in this directory beginning with the letter A.
Academic Notice:
Students with fewer than 30 credit hours, with a retention GPA of 1.7 to 1.99.
Academic Probation:
Students with more than 29 credit hours, with a retention GPA lower than 2.00.
Academic Suspension:
Students on academic probation who do not achieve a term GPA of 2.00; must sit out one semester.
Academic Year:
August through July
Add/Drop Period:
Period of time at the beginning of each semester when students can add or drop courses without financial or academic repercussions. More about Add/Drop.
Adjunct Instructor:
Part-time instructor.
Advisor:
University official who assists students in choosing appropriate coursework. More about Academic Advising.
Associate Degree:
Typically requires 60-65 hours of courses to complete. See our Associate Degrees.
Attendance:
Professors must report attendance. The Department of Education requires colleges and universities to verify for all federal financial aid recipients including online classes.
Audit:
Taking a course for no credit. See how to Audit a class.