COLLEGE LINGO
Academic advisor: Your academic
advisor is the person assigned to work
with you on building your degree plan
and planning your class schedule. Some
academic advisors are professional
advisors, meaning their primary job is to
help students with academic planning.
Others are faculty members who assist
students in addition to teaching classes
and conducting research. You should
meet with your advisor at least once per
semester during your school’s planned
academic advisement period.
Academic affairs:
on campus that oversees students’
academic development and growth.
Students may be required to meet with
academic affairs representatives if they
fall behind in their coursework or fail
to adhere to academic standards (for
example, by plagiarizing or cheating).
Academic calendar: The academic
calendar outlines important dates and
deadlines for your college, including the
to add or drop a course, midterm and
periods and graduation.
Academic probation: Students who
are off track academically are given a
warning and are put on probation for
a period of time. Usually, students are
put on academic probation because
they have failed to maintain a minimum
grade point average (GPA). However,
sometimes students are put on
probation for failing to make progress
toward their chosen major. Students
who are on probation are given a length
of time, usually either a semester or
a year, to improve their academic
performance and complete steps
outlined by the institution. For example,
students who are on academic probation
are often required to attend tutoring
sessions or meet with a counselor or
4 TRANSITION 101 • CFWV.COM
their advisor. Students who fail to meet
these requirements and improve their
academic standing run the risk of being
suspended from college.
Academic suspension: Students
who have not met a college’s minimum
academic standards are asked to leave
the college for a period of time (usually
either a semester or a year). Typically,
students who are on suspension must
apply for reinstatement if they wish to
reenter the college after their suspension
period ends. Academic suspension is a
last resort for most colleges. Institutions
usually give students a chance to correct
issues by putting them on academic
probation.
Add/drop periods: Colleges typically
allow a period of time (usually one week)
at the beginning of each semester for
During this time, students can add
new classes or drop classes without
receiving a “withdraw” mark on their
academic transcript.
Admissions office: The admissions
college, determines whether or not you
will be admitted and helps facilitate your
transition into college.
Auditing a course: You can attend a
class for no grade or credit, if that grade
is not needed for your degree program.
Students may choose to audit a class
to learn more about a particular subject
area outside their area of study. Many
colleges require students to register to
audit a class, and some colleges charge
for audited classes. Audited classes
may also show up on your transcript,
although you will not receive a grade. If
you are considering auditing a class, talk
to your academic advisor.
Associate’s degree: Associate’s
degrees are typically two-year degrees,
often from community or junior colleges.
Bursar’s office:
you pay the balance of your student
account, including tuition, fees, room
of Student Accounts” or “Accounts
Payable.”
Bachelor’s degree:
degrees are typically four-year degrees,
but can be earned in as few as three
six years to complete their bachelor’s
degree. These degrees are sometimes
referred to as baccalaureate or
undergraduate degrees.
Community College: Sometimes
called a two-year college, students
can take classes, and then transfer to
a four-year school, or they can earn
degrees from these schools.
Counseling services: Counseling
services at most institutions offer many
options for students seeking help with
coping with stress and mental health
concerns. They may also offer individual
short-term and group counseling for
currently enrolled students.
Credit hour: Credit hours are units
of value given to classes. Some classes
may be worth two or three credits,
while others are worth four credits.
Credits vary by class and by school.
Many schools base tuition costs on the
number of credit hours taken. Some
credit hour.
Deferment: A deferment is an
approved postponement in repaying
a student loan. For example, students
may seek a deferment on undergraduate
loan payments while in graduate school.
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