Student

For other senses of this word, see student (disambiguation).

Students attending a lecture at the Helsinki University of Technology

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 is one who directs zeal at a subject. A student is also known as a disciple in the sense of a religious area of study or in the sense of a "discipline" of learning. In its widest use, student is used for any school or class attendee. In many countries, the word student is reserved for higher education or university students; persons attending classes in primary or secondary schools are typically called pupils.

Currently, many children and teenagers are subject to compulsory education: by law they are required to attend some form of school. Laws vary from country to country, but most students 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.

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

Years

This student is making a classroom presentation; the roles of teacher and student momentarily reversed.

In the USA, where undergraduate degree courses and high school commonly last four years, the following terms are generally used. They originated in England and fell into disuse there. They are sometimes now adopted in other countries:

A freshman (common replacements: fresher, frosh, newbie, snotter, etc.) is a first-year student in college or university, or, chiefly in the United States, in high school. This word came from England but is now used far more frequently in U.S. English. The gender-neutral variation freshperson is rare.

At universities in the United Kingdom the term fresher is used to describe new students. Unlike the American term freshman it sometimes only applies in the first few months or weeks of a student's first year. For the rest of the year they are called first years; the North American equivalent would be frosh (in singular and plural). 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.

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.

It should also be noted that freshmen are generally picked on more than other grade levels, in particular by the seniors, because the freshmen are usually younger than the other students and lack general knowledge of the school. 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 as a pledge(r) or rookie, especially if joining a fraternity/sorority or certain other clubs, mainly athletic teams. For example, many US 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 can be punished, even by a paddle line.

In the US, a sophomore is a second-year student. Folk-etymologically, the word is said to mean "wise fool"; consequently sophomoric means "pretentious, bombastic, inflated in style or manner; immature, crude, superficial" (according to the Oxford English Dictionary). While it appears to be formed from Greek sophos, meaning "wise", and moros meaning "foolish", it is in truth from the word sophumer, an obsolete variant of sophism [link]. In Britain, the term sophomore is unknown and second year students are simply called second years.

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.

A junior is a student in the penultimate (usually third) year of high school or college.

A senior is a student in the last (usually fourth) year at a high school, college, or university. A student taking more time than normal (usually four years) to graduate is sometimes referred to as a super senior.

The term pupil (originally a Latin term for a minor as the ward of an adult guardian etc.) is used in English 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. 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. 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).

Students are often stereotypically associated with childish pranks and japes.

Idiomatic use

Freshman and sophomore are sometimes used figuratively, mainly in US English usage, to refer for example to a first or second effort ("the singer's freshman album"), or to a politician's first or second term in office ("sophomore senator") or an athlete's first or second year on a professional sports team. Junior and senior aren't 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 rather merely one who has not been in the Senate as long as the other senator from his or her state.)

Student

Years

Idiomatic use

See also