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For other uses, see Student (disambiguation).

The word student is etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation verb "stŭdērĕ", meaning "to direct one's zeal at"; hence a student could be described as 'one who directs zeal at a subject'. In its widest use, "student" is used for anyone who is learning.

Scope

In many countries, the word "student" or a cognate equivalent (e.g., French "étudiant") is reserved for higher education or university students. However derived adjectives in such languages (e.g., "estudiantin" in French) may also, or even especially (e.g., Dutch "studentikoos"), be associated with the non-academic, fun-loving side of stereotyped "student life" (in part organised, such as hazing, "Greek life" in North American Fraternities and sororities), although not all students induldge in this lifestyle.

Currently, many children and teenagers are subject to compulsory education: by law they are required to attend some form of school. The term 'pupil', defined as 'one under academic discipline' serves as a useful distinction between those required to study (usually children), and those choosing to study (usually adults). Laws vary from country to country, but most pupils are allowed to abandon their education when they reach the age specified in their jurisdiction.

Researchers, educators and education administrators around the world are increasingly heeding student voice, a common reference to the experiences, opinions, ideas and actions of children and youth in schools. This practice provides authenticity and efficacy for school improvement efforts. The first European universities were student universities: the professors depended on payment from the students, who picked their own courses, often itinerant.

17 November is International Students Day, which commemorates those students who called for peace who were killed at the beginning of the Second World War; specifically, the date was chosen in memory of Jan Opletal and the events following his death.

International variations

Australia

In Australia some university students favour the term "jaffy" for freshman, an acronym standing for "just another fucking first-year". The meaning refers to the fact that, having finished high-school as one of the most important students in a small school, the new students are suddenly the least important students in a large university, i.e. they are "just another" in a sea of irrelevant freshmen. Otherwise "first-years", "second-years", etc., are in common usage. Children in primary and secondary school are also referred to as students.

Canada

In Canada, special terms are occasionally used. In English provinces, the high school (known as Academy or secondary school) years can be referred to simply as first, second, third, fourth and fifth year. Some areas call it by grade such as Grade 9, Grade 10, Grade 11, Grade 12. There is no more Grade 13. In university, students are classified as first-, second-, third-, or fourth-year students. In some occasions, they can be called Senior One's, Two's, Three's, and Four's. First years are commonly known as frosh, and the first week of university for first year students is commonly known as Frosh week.

Continental Europe

In Belgian universities, first-year students are called schacht in Flemish, or bleu in French.

United Kingdom

At universities in the United Kingdom the derivative form "fresher" is more often used to describe new students; the term "first years" is also commonly used (especially after the first term). There is no derogatory connotation in this name unlike its US counterpart. The week before the start of a new year is called "Freshers' Week" at many universities, with a programme of special events to welcome new students; some universities, however, are attempting to drop the connotative associations of "freshers week" by renaming it "welcome week". An undergraduate in the last year of study before graduation is generally known as a "finalist", or simply a third year.

The ancient Scottish University of St Andrews uses the terms "bejant" for a first year (from the French "bec-jaune" – "yellow beak", "fledgling"). Second years are called "semi-bejants", third years are known as "tertians", and fourth years, or others in their final year of study, are called "magistrands".

Home tutoring also takes place in the UK.

United States

First year

A freshman (slang alternatives that are usually derogatory in nature include fish, fresher, frosh, newbie, freshie, snotter, fresh-meat, etc.) is a first-year student in college, university or high school. The gender-neutral variation "freshperson" is rare.

In many traditions there is a remainder of the ancient (boarding, pre-commuting) tradition of fagging. He may also be subjected to a period of hazing or ragging as a pledge(r) or rookie, especially if joining a fraternity/sorority or certain other clubs, mainly athletic teams. For example, many high schools have initiation methods for freshmen, including, but not limited to, Freshman Duct-taped Throw, Freshman races, Freshman Orientation, Freshman Freshening (referring to poor hygiene among freshmen), and the Freshman Spread.

Even after that, specific rules may apply depending on the school's traditions (e.g., wearing a distinctive beanie), non-observance of which may result in punishment in which the paddle may come into play.

Second year

In the U.S., a sophomore is a second-year student. Folk etymology has it that the word means "wise fool"; consequently "sophomoric" means "pretentious, bombastic, inflated in style or manner; immature, crude, superficial" (according to the Oxford English Dictionary). It appears to be most likely formed from Greek "sophos", meaning "wise", and "moros" meaning "foolish", although it may also have separately originated from the word "sophumer", an obsolete variant of "sophism". Outside of the U.S. the term "sophomore" is rarely used, with second-year students simply called "second years".

Post-second year

In the U.S. a junior is a student in the penultimate (usually third) year and a senior a student in the last (usually fourth) year of college, university, or high school. A college student who takes more than the normal number of years to graduate is sometimes referred to as a "super senior". The term "underclassman" is sometimes used to refer collectively to freshmen and sophomores, and "upperclassman" to refer collectively to juniors and seniors, sometimes even sophomores. The term "middler" is used to describe a third-year student of a school (generally college) which offers five years of study. In this situation, the fourth and fifth years would be referred to as "junior" and "senior" years, respectively.

Mature students

Main article: Mature student

A mature, or adult student in tertiary education (at a university or a college) is normally classified as an (undergraduate) student who is at least 21 years old (23 years old in the Republic of Ireland) at the start of their course and usually having been out of the education system for at least two years. Mature students can also include students who have been out of the education system for decades, or students with no secondary education. Mature students also make up graduate and postgraduate populations by demographic of age.

Student pranks

Main article: Student prank

University students have a long association with pranks and japes. These can often involve petty crime, such as the theft of traffic cones and other public property, or hoaxes. It is also not uncommon for students from one school to steal or deface the mascot of a rival school. In fact, pranks play such a significant part in student culture that numerous books have been published that focus on the issue.Pranks may reflect current events, be a form of protest or revenge, or have no other purpose than for the enjoyment of the prank itself. A recent report has been released focusing on the misbehaviour of university students. The report, Studentification: A Guide to Opportunities, Challenges and Practice, by Universities UK, focuses on six British universities as case studies.

Other terms

A student who is repeating a grade level of schooling due to poor grades is sometimes referred to as having been "held back".

The term pupil (originally a Latin term for a minor as the ward of an adult guardian etc.) is used in British primary and secondary schools instead of "student", but once attending higher education such as sixth-form college etc, the term "student" is standard.

The United States military academies use only numerical terms, except there are colloquial expressions used in everyday speech. In order from first year to fourth year, students in these institutions are officially referred to as "fourth-class", "third-class", "second-class", and "first-class" cadets or midshipmen. Unofficially, other terms are used, for example at the United States Military Academy, freshman are called "plebes," sophomores are called "yearlings" or "yuks," juniors are called "cows," and seniors are called "firsties." Some universities also use numerical terms to identify classes; students enter as "first-years" and graduate as "fourth-years" (or, in some cases, "fifth-years", "sixth-years", etc).

Freshers' Flu refers to the generic illness that many new students get during the first few weeks of starting the first year. This is often attributed to viral/bacterial diseases being carried by students from other regions of the country/world, to which some have no immunity.

Idiomatic use

"Freshman" and "sophomore" are sometimes used figuratively, almost exclusively in the United States, to refer to a first or second effort ("the singer's sophomore album"), or to a politician's first or second term in office ("freshman senator") or an athlete's first or second year on a professional sports team. "Junior" and "senior" are not used in this figurative way to refer to third and fourth years or efforts, because of those words' broader meanings of "younger" and "older". (A junior senator is therefore not one who is in his or her third term of office, but merely one who has not been in the Senate as long as the other senator from his or her state.)

References

Chambers Dictionary
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=sophomore&searchmode=none
http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/dictionary/super_senior/ Definition of a super senior; URL accessed October 5 2006.
http://www.princeton.edu/mudd/news/faq/topics/pranks.shtml
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2006/10/student_pranks.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,7369,1075600,00.html
http://www.epigram.org.uk/view.php?id=1503
http://www.fox11az.com/news/topstories/stories/kmsb-20070614-PEjc-prank.338b9df.html
http://www.hero.ac.uk/uk/studying/archives/2001/nightmare_on_student_stre901.cfm
http://www.dailycal.org/article.php?id=10351
Nightwork: A History of Hacks and Pranks at MIT by T.F. Peterson (Paperback - 1 April 2003)
If at All Possible, Involve a Cow: The Book of College Pranks by Neil Steinberg (Paperback - 1992)
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2006/09/mit_hacks_mark_1.html

Creative Teens' Club - For the Students, By the Students

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