Use this page to help you understand all the words to do with university!

Aspiration

Something you feel you want to do or achieve in the future. It could also be called a goal or a wish.

Budgeting

Managing your money so that you can afford to buy the things you need to without running out. Find out more in our Student Finance tab in ‘the basics’ section.

Campus

All the buildings of the university. It will even have a shop and a café as well as buildings where you go to learn.

Course

All the lectures, seminars, essays and exams in your subject that you need to do to get your degree.

Degree

The special certificate you get at the end of university.

Career

A job that you have for a long time, it is usually something you have studied for.

Essay

Essay/coursework – A long piece of writing on a particular subject.

Exam

Students take exams at the end of their studies to test their knowledge. If they pass, they can graduate!

Gown

An outfit that you wear to graduation, it is usually black and very long.

Graduate

A person who has completed university and received a degree for all their hard work.

Graduation

The ceremony where you get your degree. You get dressed up in a gown, hood and mortar board.

Halls of Residence

You can live here on the university campus.

Hood

You wear a hood as part of your graduation outfit, it can have different colours which show which course you have graduated from or what degree you have achieved.

Independence/Independent study

Being able to do things on your own without much help, like getting on the bus, going to lectures and doing your coursework. It is a useful skill when you are at university.

Labs

A place where you can do experiments at the university.

Lecture

A lesson at university where around 200 students listen to the lecturer speak.

Lecturer

Someone who teaches students at university. They will do research on their subject, and run lectures and seminars for their students.

Lecture Theatre

A big room, a bit like a cinema, that you learn in at university. It is a lot bigger than your classroom and the biggest ones can hold up to 600 students!

Library

Students can find books here for their studying. At Liverpool they are open 24 hours a day and students can come to study in between their lectures.

Mortar Board

The hat you wear at graduation. It is black with a flat top and a long tassel. You can try making your own on our graduation page!

Professor

Someone who is an expert on their subject, and is a senior member of staff at a university. They will do research on their subject, and run lectures and seminars for their students.

Prospectus

A book or a website that tells you about all the different courses you can study at university. It will also have information about what subjects you should study at school. If you click the Mortar Board on the left hand side of the screen, you can look through our prospectus of courses!

Research

Finding out more about a subject by carrying out experiments, reading books and searching the internet.

Seminar

A lesson at university with about 15 students where they discuss the things they have learnt in their lectures.

Student

A person who attends university, did you know you can be any age over 18 to be a student!

Society

The name for different clubs where you can make lots of new friends.

Time-keeping skills

Being able to manage or plan your time so that you aren’t late or miss things. At university you may have to balance your lectures with a social life and hobbies, for example.

Tutorials

A bit like a seminar, this is when we learn in a smaller classroom sized group.

University

A place where you can study different subjects and learn more to help you get a job.