Getting Ready for College

Lesson 8: Last Minute Vocabulary & It's Off To College!

Vocabulary G-P

GPA Grade Point Average - This is the student’s “average”, both for the semester and cumulatively. E.g. Four As would be a 4.0 GPA. The next semester the student receives four Bs for a 3.0 GPA for the semester. The overall GPA would be 3.5. This is a simplistic example of a process which takes the mark, multiples it by the number of credits to arrive at the final figure.

Graduation requirements The number of credits, specific courses, types of courses, core studies and various fees, participation activities required for a degree in a specific major. Varies slightly from school to school and by major and minor subject area.

Grants Money given to a student freely, with no repayment obligation. Generally government-sponsored and not the norm for funding college. Small grants can help defray some of the costs.

Honors Program A “college within a college”. Small, select program for the cream of the crop within a given school or department. You must usually apply for this program. Advantage: smaller class size, prestigious faculty. Note: Heavy workloads, intense research/studying.

Independent study A course of study that does not follow the normal catalog of courses. Generally offered only to upper classmen with superior academic ratings. For those who think “outside the box”.

Junior or Community college Commuter college which offers a 2 year degree program only.

Laboratory course Class which required “hands-on” participation, in some type of laboratory setting. E.g.: science lab, computer lab, language lab

Lecture course Class in which the instructor generally orates with little class interaction. These are general first semester courses, required by all, with large enrollments.

Letter Grades The typical A thru F marks, which are then converted to numerical values to establish the GPA.

Major/minor A student’s area of specialization and possibly, sub-specialty. E.g. Major: Education with a minor in English. Major: Biology, minor molecular biology.

Midterms/finals Examinations which are given halfway through the semester and then at the end of the semester. Not all courses include either and/or both. Some exams are written, some oral, some a combination; some require a presentation: written report, live performance or recitation.

NCAA initial eligibility certification The requirements for National Collegiate Athletic Association eligibility. Strict rules and regulations for college athletic participation. This is an area to discuss carefully with the high school sports coach and any college admissions’ counselors, recruiters or coaches.

Non-credit course A course of study for which no credit is awarded. Grade will not count towards GPA. These courses fall into 2 categories: pre-requisites for college level studies and outside interests, not of college-credit caliber. (E.g. Your child’s math placement score is below the standard required for Math 101. S/he will be required to take a pre-math 101 course to prepare for college math. Non-credit courses of personal interest are usually offered to the adult population in the evenings. Mom and Dad wish to learn ballroom dancing. Nice activity, offered at the college, but no college credit)

Open Door College admissions policy which basically lets anyone who has a high school diploma into the base program. Usually available at junior or community colleges only.

Pass/fail Some college courses are offered ONLY as “pass/fail” – no letter grade or value for GPA. Credits are awarded. Other classes offer this option. Students elect pass/fail in their weaker areas if they do not wish to lower their GPA. E.g. Your son is horrendous in math. Math 101 is required. He may opt to take this as “pass/fail” (if it is offered as such) rather than get a D and lower his GPA.

Placement exams Most colleges require placement examinations in several subjects, usually English, Math and possibly Science. Specialty schools may require a portfolio or live or taped audition (art and/or music schools). Some schools will waive the placement test if the student has taken a college tie-in course or advanced placement testing. Note: This varies from school to school and often the acceptable passing grade at one school for advanced placed or examination waiver is different than another school. Check college catalogs carefully. Depending upon placement score, your child may be required to take a pre-requisite (sometimes a non-credit course), or may be exempt from a beginning level course and receive credit for prior high school studies or personal knowledge.

Pre-requisite A requirement necessary for entrance into a specific class. A student generally may not enroll in Math 201 without having completed and passed Math 101. Some professors will allow a student to join a class via waiver if the instructor feels that the student can handle the material.

Private/public Colleges which receive no governmental financing are private; county/state/national schools which receive financial aid from the government are public.

  1  2  3  4