Learn campus jargon

As a first generation or low income college student, you might not be aware of the language of college specific to your campus. This language of college is campus jargon, and it is so important that you understand it to be successful as a student.

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Basically, campus jargon is the way class names are abbreviated, what course numbers mean, names for different requirements, acronyms for campus offices (and higher education loves its acronyms!), and other things specific to your school.

How important is knowing your campus jargon? Well, try to decode this sentence: "Do you want to meet at the DC to study for ENG 101?" It could mean "Do you want to meet at the Dining Commons to study for our advanced electrical engineering class," or ""Do you want to meet at the Diversity Center to study for our basic English composition class," or any other number of things. It all depends on your campus jargon.

Not knowing campus jargon is like being in a foreign country and not speaking a lick of the language. Sure, you might be able to muster up basic communication, but knowing the language makes things a ton easier.

You can go about learning campus jargon by reading the general catalog, reviewing the campus website, and talking to a campus advisor. Knowing this language of college is just one step in the right direction.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.