🏫 TOEFL Listening – campus conversations · Vocabulary by Exam · 102 words

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academic advisor /əˌkædəmɪk ədˈvaɪzə/ n	a member of staff who helps students choose courses and plan their studies My academic advisor said I should take statistics before my third year.
prerequisite /ˌpriːˈrekwəzɪt/ n	a course you must pass before you are allowed to take another one Introductory chemistry is a prerequisite for the biochemistry seminar.
transcript /ˈtrænskrɪpt/ n	an official record of the courses a student has taken and the grades received Graduate schools usually ask for an official transcript sealed by the university.
extension /ɪkˈstenʃn/ n	extra time allowed to finish a piece of work after the original date The professor agreed to give me a one-week extension because I was ill.
tuition fees /tjuˈɪʃn fiːz/ n	the money a student pays to a college for teaching Tuition fees must be paid in full before the start of the semester.
enrol /ɪnˈrəʊl/ v	to officially put your name on the list for a course or school Over two hundred students have enrolled in the introductory psychology course.
enrolment /ɪnˈrəʊlmənt/ n	the act of officially joining a course, or the number of people who join Enrolment for the summer session opens on the first of April.
syllabus /ˈsɪləbəs/ n	a document listing the topics, readings and assessments for a course Check the syllabus — the due dates for all three essays are listed there.
elective /ɪˈlektɪv/ n	a course that a student chooses to take but is not required to I took film studies as an elective because it fitted my timetable.
major /ˈmeɪdʒə/ n	the main subject a student studies at college She switched her major from biology to economics in her second year.
minor /ˈmaɪnə/ n	a second subject that a student studies in less depth than the main one He is majoring in history with a minor in French.
credit hour /ˈkredɪt ˌaʊə/ n	a unit that measures how much course work counts towards a degree Full-time students must take at least twelve credit hours each term.
semester /sɪˈmestə/ n	one of the two main periods into which a college year is divided I'm planning to study abroad for one semester next year.
core course /ˈkɔː kɔːs/ n	a course that every student in a programme has to complete You can't graduate until you've finished all the core courses in your department.
graduation requirement /ˌɡrædʒuˈeɪʃn rɪˌkwaɪəmənt/ n	something a student must complete in order to receive a degree A foreign language course is a graduation requirement for all arts students.
audit /ˈɔːdɪt/ v	to attend a college course without receiving a grade or credit for it If you just want to learn the material, you could audit the class instead.
waitlist /ˈweɪtlɪst/ n	a list of people waiting for a place in a full course or service The class is full, but I can put you on the waitlist in case someone drops out.
waive /weɪv/ v	to choose not to apply a rule, requirement or charge in a particular case The department may waive the prerequisite if you have relevant work experience.
override /ˈəʊvəraɪd/ n	special permission that allows a student to join a course despite a rule or limit Ask the professor for an override if the online system says the class is closed.
academic probation /əˌkædəmɪk prəˈbeɪʃn/ n	a warning period for a student whose grades have fallen below the required level If your GPA drops below 2.0, you'll be placed on academic probation.
withdraw /wɪðˈdrɔː/ v	to officially stop taking part in a course or programme Students who withdraw after the tenth week will receive a W on their record.
defer /dɪˈfɜː/ v	to delay something until a later time She deferred her place at university for a year to work abroad.
incomplete /ˌɪnkəmˈpliːt/ n	a temporary grade given when a student has a good reason for not finishing the course work Because of the surgery, the professor gave him an incomplete instead of a failing grade.
pass/fail /ˌpɑːs ˈfeɪl/ adj	graded only as a pass or a fail rather than with a letter or number I'm taking the pottery course pass/fail so it won't affect my GPA.
grant /ɡrɑːnt/ n	money given by an organisation for a particular purpose, which does not have to be paid back She received a research grant to study coral reefs in Australia.
student loan /ˌstjuːdnt ˈləʊn/ n	money borrowed to pay for college that must be repaid later Many graduates spend years paying off their student loans.
stipend /ˈstaɪpend/ n	a fixed regular sum paid to a student or trainee to cover living costs Teaching assistants receive a monthly stipend in addition to free tuition.
fellowship /ˈfeləʊʃɪp/ n	money given to a graduate student or researcher to support advanced study He won a two-year fellowship to complete his doctoral research.
late fee /ˈleɪt fiː/ n	an extra charge for paying or returning something after the due date If tuition isn't paid by Friday, a fifty-dollar late fee will be added.
dormitory /ˈdɔːmətri/ n	a large building where college students live First-year students are required to live in a dormitory on campus.
roommate /ˈruːmmeɪt/ n	a person who shares a room or flat with another person My roommate stays up late, so I usually study in the library.
residence hall /ˈrezɪdəns hɔːl/ n	a building on a university campus where students live Each residence hall has a laundry room and a shared kitchen on every floor.
campus housing /ˌkæmpəs ˈhaʊzɪŋ/ n	accommodation provided by a university for its students The deadline to apply for campus housing next year is the end of March.
orientation /ˌɔːriənˈteɪʃn/ n	a programme that introduces new students to a college and its services During orientation week, new students take a tour of the library and labs.
maintenance request /ˈmeɪntənəns rɪˌkwest/ n	a formal request asking staff to repair something in a building I submitted a maintenance request because the heater in my room is broken.
cafeteria /ˌkæfəˈtɪəriə/ n	a restaurant where people choose food at a counter and carry it to a table The cafeteria in the student centre stays open until nine.
dining hall /ˈdaɪnɪŋ hɔːl/ n	a large room in a college where students eat meals together Your meal card works in any dining hall on campus.
student ID card /ˌstjuːdnt aɪˈdiː kɑːd/ n	a card with a photo that proves you are a student at a particular school You'll need your student ID card to borrow books or enter the gym.
parking permit /ˈpɑːkɪŋ ˌpɜːmɪt/ n	an official document that allows you to park in a particular area Cars without a valid parking permit will be ticketed in the staff lot.
shuttle bus /ˈʃʌtl bʌs/ n	a bus that makes regular short trips between two or more places A free shuttle bus runs between the main campus and the medical school.
student union /ˌstjuːdnt ˈjuːniən/ n	a building with shops and meeting rooms for students, or the organisation that represents them The club fair will be held on the ground floor of the student union.
student government /ˌstjuːdnt ˈɡʌvənmənt/ n	a group of elected students who represent the student body Student government is asking for longer library hours during exam week.
career services /kəˈrɪə ˌsɜːvɪsɪz/ n	a college office that helps students find jobs and plan their careers Career services can check your CV before the job fair.
counsellor /ˈkaʊnsələ/ n	a person trained to listen to people and give advice about personal problems If exam stress is affecting your sleep, you should talk to a counsellor.
tutoring /ˈtjuːtərɪŋ/ n	extra teaching given to one student or a small group Free tutoring in maths is available every weekday afternoon.
writing centre /ˈraɪtɪŋ ˌsentə/ n	a university service where students get help planning and improving their essays Take your draft to the writing centre; they're great at helping with structure.
fundraiser /ˈfʌndreɪzə/ n	an event organised to collect money for a particular purpose The chess club is holding a bake sale as a fundraiser for its trip.
flyer /ˈflaɪə/ n	a small sheet of paper that advertises an event or service I saw a flyer about the volunteer programme on the noticeboard.
sign-up sheet /ˈsaɪn ʌp ʃiːt/ n	a piece of paper where people write their names to take part in something There's a sign-up sheet outside my office for individual meetings.
volunteer /ˌvɒlənˈtɪə/ v	to offer to do something without being forced or paid I volunteered to help organise the international food festival.
overdue /ˌəʊvəˈdjuː/ adj	not returned or paid by the expected time You can't borrow more books until you return the overdue ones.
renew /rɪˈnjuː/ v	to make something valid for a further period of time You can renew library books online up to three times.
library card /ˈlaɪbrəri kɑːd/ n	a card that allows you to borrow items from a library Your student ID also works as your library card.
periodical /ˌpɪəriˈɒdɪkl/ n	a magazine or journal published at regular intervals Older periodicals are kept in the basement and can't be taken out.
database /ˈdeɪtəbeɪs/ n	an organised collection of information stored on a computer The library subscribes to several databases of scientific articles.
microfilm /ˈmaɪkrəʊfɪlm/ n	film on which very small photographs of documents are stored Newspapers from the 1950s are only available on microfilm.
stacks /stæks/ n	the rows of shelves in a library where most books are kept The book you want is somewhere in the stacks on the fourth floor.
circulation desk /ˌsɜːkjəˈleɪʃn desk/ n	the desk in a library where you borrow and return items Ask at the circulation desk if the item you reserved has arrived.
bookstore /ˈbʊkstɔː/ n	a shop that sells books Used textbooks are much cheaper at the campus bookstore.
textbook /ˈtekstbʊk/ n	a book that teaches a particular subject and is used by students The required textbook for this course costs over a hundred dollars.
teaching assistant /ˈtiːtʃɪŋ əˌsɪstənt/ n	a graduate student who helps a professor by teaching or grading The teaching assistant runs the discussion sections on Thursday.
faculty /ˈfæklti/ n	all the teaching staff of a university, or a group of related departments Faculty and students are invited to the guest lecture on Friday.
department chair /dɪˈpɑːtmənt tʃeə/ n	the professor who is in charge of a university department Any change to your research topic must be approved by the department chair.
tenure /ˈtenjə/ n	the right to stay permanently in a university teaching job After publishing three books, she was finally granted tenure.
thesis /ˈθiːsɪs/ n	a long piece of writing for a degree, or the main idea an essay argues for Your thesis statement should appear at the end of the first paragraph.
dissertation /ˌdɪsəˈteɪʃn/ n	a long piece of research writing, especially for a higher degree He spent two years collecting data for his doctoral dissertation.
research proposal /rɪˈsɜːtʃ prəˌpəʊzl/ n	a document explaining what a researcher plans to study and how Your research proposal is due before you can start the experiment.
plagiarism /ˈpleɪdʒərɪzəm/ n	copying another person's words or ideas and pretending they are your own Plagiarism can lead to failing the course or even being expelled.
cite /saɪt/ v	to mention a source as evidence or as the origin of an idea Make sure you cite every source you use, even websites.
citation /saɪˈteɪʃn/ n	a reference to the book, article or author that information came from Use the same citation style throughout the paper.
bibliography /ˌbɪbliˈɒɡrəfi/ n	a list of the books and articles used in a piece of writing The bibliography doesn't count towards the word limit.
rough draft /ˌrʌf ˈdrɑːft/ n	the first version of a piece of writing, before it is improved Bring a rough draft to class next week for peer feedback.
revise /rɪˈvaɪz/ v	to change and improve a piece of writing; (BrE) to study again for an exam You can revise the essay and resubmit it for a higher grade.
peer review /ˌpɪə rɪˈvjuː/ n	the process of students or experts reading and commenting on each other's work In today's workshop we'll do a peer review of your introductions.
coursework /ˈkɔːswɜːk/ n	work students do during a course that counts towards their final grade Coursework counts for forty per cent of the final mark.
assignment /əˈsaɪnmənt/ n	a piece of work given to a student as part of their studies The reading assignment for Monday is chapters four and five.
due date /ˈdjuː deɪt/ n	the date by which something must be done or paid The due date for the lab report has been moved to next Wednesday.
turn in /ˌtɜːn ˈɪn/ phr v	to give a piece of work to a teacher Please turn in your problem sets at the start of class.
make-up exam /ˈmeɪk ʌp ɪɡˌzæm/ n	an exam taken later by a student who missed the original one With a doctor's note, you can take a make-up exam next week.
reschedule /ˌriːˈʃedjuːl/ v	to change the time or date of a planned event Could we reschedule our meeting? I have a lab at that time.
scheduling conflict /ˈʃedjuːlɪŋ ˌkɒnflɪkt/ n	a situation in which two events are planned for the same time I have a scheduling conflict: two of my required classes meet on Tuesday mornings.
seminar /ˈsemɪnɑː/ n	a class in which a small group of students discuss a topic with a teacher Seminars are limited to fifteen students so everyone can speak.
lecture notes /ˈlektʃə nəʊts/ n	notes written during a lecture or provided by the lecturer The professor posts her lecture notes online after each class.
attendance /əˈtendəns/ n	the act of being present at classes, or the number of people present Attendance is taken at every lab session.
participation /pɑːˌtɪsɪˈpeɪʃn/ n	taking part in class discussions and activities Class participation makes up ten per cent of your grade.
pop quiz /ˌpɒp ˈkwɪz/ n	a short test given without warning He keeps up with the readings in case there's a pop quiz.
rubric /ˈruːbrɪk/ n	a set of criteria explaining how a piece of work will be graded Read the rubric carefully — organisation is worth as much as content.
grade on a curve /ˌɡreɪd ɒn ə ˈkɜːv/ phrase	to give marks based on how students perform compared to the rest of the class Because the exam was so hard, the professor decided to grade on a curve.
extra credit /ˌekstrə ˈkredɪt/ n	additional points a student can earn by doing optional work You can earn extra credit by attending the museum talk and writing a summary.
cram /kræm/ v	to study a lot of information in a short time just before an exam Cramming the night before rarely works for a cumulative final.
pull an all-nighter /ˌpʊl ən ɔːlˈnaɪtə/ phrase	to stay awake all night to study or finish work I had to pull an all-nighter to finish my history paper.
laboratory /ləˈbɒrətri/ n	a room or building used for scientific experiments and research Safety glasses must be worn at all times in the laboratory.
lab partner /ˈlæb ˌpɑːtnə/ n	a student who works with another on experiments in a science class My lab partner and I disagreed about how to interpret the results.
field trip /ˈfiːld trɪp/ n	a visit made by students to study something outside the classroom The geology class is going on a field trip to the coast.
sign up for /ˌsaɪn ˈʌp fə/ phr v	to agree to take part in a course or activity by putting your name on a list I signed up for an introductory course in astronomy.
fall behind /ˌfɔːl bɪˈhaɪnd/ phr v	to fail to keep up with work that has to be done I fell behind on the readings when I was sick last week.
brush up on /ˌbrʌʃ ˈʌp ɒn/ phr v	to practise and improve a skill you have not used for some time You might want to brush up on your algebra before the statistics course.
study abroad /ˌstʌdi əˈbrɔːd/ phrase	to spend a period of a degree studying in another country Students who study abroad for a term often come back more independent.
exchange student /ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ ˌstjuːdnt/ n	a student who studies for a period at a school in another country We have three exchange students from Japan in our seminar.
internship /ˈɪntɜːnʃɪp/ n	a period of work, often short-term, to gain experience in a job She did a summer internship at a marine research centre.
letter of recommendation /ˌletər əv ˌrekəmenˈdeɪʃn/ n	a letter written by a teacher or employer praising someone's abilities Could you write me a letter of recommendation for graduate school?
alumni /əˈlʌmnaɪ/ n	former students of a school, college or university Several alumni have donated money to build the new science library.