If you’re starting college in the fall, do yourself a favor and print this out right now. Print out one for you and one for your roommate … and your BFF … and her roommate … and maybe one for your neighbor … and your neighbor’s neighbor, too. Why? As most collegiettes will tell you, at some point during your first few days on campus, somebody will say something to you and might as well be talking in Finnish. And while awkwardly showing up to an ABC party dressed as your favorite consonant makes for a great freshman year anecdote, a quick review of the Collegiette Dictionary will have you talking the talk in no time. So fear not, pre-collegiettes (and collegiettes who just want some reminders of college over the summer): this is your guide to college lingo. And just to clear this one up…
-A-
ABC Party:“Anything But Clothes” Party.
Attendees wear (as the name implies) anything but clothes: monopoly money, duct tape, candy bar wrappers, calculus notes, etc. It’s a great excuse to flaunt your creativity at making clothes out of, well, not clothes (and you thought that skill would never come in handy!).
-B-
Big-Little Week: Usually lasting about one week during each semester, a secret “big sister” (older member) in a sorority indulges her “little” (new member) with presents and surprises.
Trust me: whether you’re in a sorority or not, you’ll know when Big-Little Week is upon your campus. Neon posters covered in glitter and ribbons will grace girls’ doors with phrases like, “I love my little!” and miniature candy bars spelling out Greek letters will be found in many a hallway. For sorority sisters, it’s a week of pampering and fun. For non-sorority sisters, it’s the week that makes you question why you didn’t rush (who wouldn’t love an entire week of presents?).
Bro: Used to describe the archetypal college party boy.
You can usually find your fair share of bros prowling around campus on the weekends, looking for whatever combination of girls, booze and parties they can get their hands on. A bro can be easily identified by his signature lax pinnie and (often matching) flat billed hat … attractive, I know.
BYOB: Bring your own … banjo? Bicycle? Boom box? Boy? BYOB usually stands for “Bring Your Own Beer/Bottle.”
Typically, this means that the host of a party will not be providing alcohol, but guests can choose to bring their own … and you really shouldn’t plan on sharing with anybody.
-C-
Common Room: A shared living space or lounge in a dorm.
Here’s the thing about a common room: everyone has it in common (cough … cute guys … cough). Hence, they serve as the perfect place to get a little studying done AND to chat up any guys that live in your building that you’d like to get to know a little better.
Helpful hint: don’t leave any personal belongings alone in a common room for too long. Common rooms serve as a great place for college kleptomaniacs to get their jollies (then again, “Sorry, Mom, somebody must’ve stolen that fuzzy unicorn sweater you got me for Christmas after I accidentally left it in the common room,” is always a legit excuse).
Creeper: (Generally) a person who is notorious for doing weird things … really weird things.
Typically, guys are the first ones to be labeled as a “creeper.” These are the guys who will watch you for a solid 20 minutes at a party before coming up behind you and grabbing (not asking) you to dance. They’re also the guys who just seem to be … (how do I put this nicely?) … one fry short of a Happy Meal.
Of course, girls can be creepers, too. Usually, a girl creeper is used in the context of a less-than-normal roommate. You know … the one who stares at you while you sleep or watches you floss your teeth before bed. It’s pretty easy to spot these unique students … creeper tendencies are hard to hide.
-D-
Darty (or Day-long): A party occurring during the day (aka an excuse to rage in broad daylight).
At many college campuses, darty or day-long season begins in early spring, when the weather starts to warm up, and typically ends right before finals start.
Dead Week: The last week of classes before final exams.
Usually by the time Dead Week rolls around, professors have already accomplished everything on the syllabus, so they will refrain from assigning anything new (good). BUT that also usually means that you already have a killer amount of studying to do (bad).
Dorm-cest: Hook-ups and relationships between two people living in the same dorm.
This is probably the most inevitable part of living in a dorm. When you spend the majority of your time around the same few floors of guys, it’s likely that at least a few intra-dorm hook-ups and relationships will happen throughout the year. Caution: Dorm-cest often results in drama and awkward post-hook-up interactions.
Drop: You were signed up to be in a class, but you have since taken it off of your schedule (you have ‘dropped’ it).
DFMO: Dance Floor Make Out.
A semirespectable acronym for a (let’s be honest) not so classy act.
DTF: Down To F**k
An acronym that means exactly how it sounds. It was popularized by the classy people of Jersey Shore.
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-E-
Enrollment: This is the time of the year, usually at summer orientation if you are a freshman or in the fall and spring if you are an undergrad, in which you sign up for the classes you will take the next semester. To be ‘enrolled’ in a class means you are signed up to be in it.
Evaluation: A questionnaire in which you grade the performance of your professor.
Yes, you have evaluations in high school. But for some reason, college evaluations are just so much sweeter. This is your one given chance in the semester to either praise that professor who changed your life or trash that professor who made absolutely no sense. You get to evaluate TAs, too. Make sure to be honest in your evaluation because you never know how your comments can affect the next semester’s curriculum and help out other students (unless your evaluation gets tossed in the trash, which it very well could be).
-F-
Formal: The college equivalent of a dance (usually hosted by frats, sororities or clubs).
Depending on your school, formals may be more or less common. If Greek life is big on your campus, then chances are that formals are lavish events. For the less Greek-inclined universities, formals are equally fun events, usually held at a local hotel or frat house.
Formals also serve as the ideal excuse to a) bring all of your pretty dresses to school (in the hopes that you will have a formal to attend) or b) buy a brand new pretty dress, so you have something fabulous to wear.
Fratastic: A fraternity brother that is the utmost definition of a bro.
If you tell a frat brother that he’s the most fratastic guy you’ve ever met, he’ll be thrilled by the compliment. If you tell a girl that you met a super fratastic guy at a party, she’ll tell you to run as fast as you can from your new fratastic friend. If you still have any questions, feel free to reference the definition of “bro” again.
Frat Star: A fraternity brother that has achieved “fratastic” status (see above).
-G-
GDI: An acronym that stands for Gamma Delta Iota. It’s an ironic Greek classification created to describe anyone not involved with Greek life.
Basically, if a guy ever tells you that he pledged Gamma Delta Iota and invites you to a huge rager that they’re hosting this weekend … enough said.
Greek Week: A week-long celebration of fraternities and sororities.
Usually celebrated by only those involved in Greek life, this is another one of those Greek events that everyone will be aware of on campus. Depending on the school, Greek Week can range from a few extra parties for frats and sororities to entire days filled with entertainment, skits and bonding among Greek organizations.
-H-
Hall: Short for residence hall; the dorm building you live in.
It’s a favorite pastime of dorm residents to make up cutesy nicknames for the hall they live in that semester. For instance, I lived in Hartranft Hall, which we affectionately dubbed, “The Ranft.”
Highlighter Party: (Also called a Black Light Party) A party theme that requires guests to wear white or fluorescent colored clothing that appears to be glowing in black light. Guests may also write on each other’s clothing throughout the night in highlighter.
Highlighter parties have become the new toga party of college. It’s just one of those parties that happens so often throughout the year that it’s almost impossible to not end up attending one. Caution: DO NOT wear anything that you’re especially in love with to this party. You will leave with highlighter all over your clothes, and other guests will not care that your white t-shirt is a premium cotton blend by French Connection…they’ll add their own artistic touch anyway.
-I-
Intramurals: Recreational organized sports teams.
For those of us who aren’t quite athletically gifted enough to play sports at the NCAA level, intramurals offer the opportunity to continue to play a sport you love. And, always a plus, if your intramural football team loses the big game, your entire campus won’t be mad at you.
-J-
Jungle Juice: An alcoholic mixed beverage made with various types of liquors, sodas and juices.
Be warned collegiettes: jungle juice can in fact be as wild as the name implies. Usually consisting of A LOTof alcohol overpowered with sugary drinks like Kool-Aid or lemonade, what tastes nonalcoholic can (and probably does) pack a powerful punch. Always make sure to ask what’s in the concoction before drinking it. After all, you don’t want to be that girl swinging from the ceiling by the end of the night.
-K-
Keg: A barrel of beer that is usually at parties.
Kegs & Eggs: A morning keg party.
These parties usually begin before daybreak (around 6 a.m.) and last until noon or later. Another version is finishing off the keg used at a party the night before while eating eggs.
-L-
Lightweight: A person who does not drink much, and, as a result, his/her tolerance is very low.
This term is commonly heard at parties if there is someone there who has never drank or does not drink much. Freshmen are particularly prone to being called “lightweights” because there are usually many who have not drank much before college. It does not take much alcohol, or at least not as much as it may take heavier drinkers, to get a “lightweight” drunk.
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-M-
Mixer: A party specifically held between one sorority and one frat.
One of the benefits of rushing a sorority is that they hold exclusive mixers with frats on a fairly regular basis. Unless your name is Blake Lively, you’re probably not getting in to a mixer unless you’re a member of that particular sorority. Mixers offer a smaller setting (rather than a frat party) to get to know the members of a specific frat, giving you a unique chance to see these guys beyond their clichéd partying and beer chugging antics.
-N-
Natty Light (Natural Light): The most common brand of beer at college parties; this specific brand name is also used interchangeably with beer in general.
Chances are, at some point in your college career you will encounter Natty Light (whether it’s offered to you at a party or you’re tripping over a stack of cans piled up in your hallway). While some might tell you that Natty Light is the beer of choice because of its superior quality, it’s actually because it’s synonymous with being cheap.
-O-
Office Hours: Weekly time slots when your professor is available to answer questions, clear up points of confusion, etc.
Office hours are 80 million times more helpful than you would ever believe. Remember how in high school you spent your entire free period trying to track down your AP Lit teacher as if you were Nancy Drew just to ask him or her one question? The beauty of office hours is that professors have to make themselves available to you, and they use office hours to do so. This means that when your calculus professor rushes through antiderivatives, you can use office hours to go over what confused you.
Office hours also serve as one of the best ways to show a professor that you care and are putting effort into the class. If you take time out of your day to clear up a point of confusion rather than stay confused, even in a lecture of 600 people, your professor will know you care.
-P-
Pregame: Drinking before going to a party.
If you’re invited to attend a pregame, basically it’s a party before a party. While pregaming usually involves both alcohol and parties, you might hear the term being used for other event combinations. For instance, you may want to consider pregaming with massive amounts of hot cocoa before braving the snowy, December football games.
-Q-
Quad: Any grassy knoll on campus that acts as a usual meeting spot or hangout.
Although they all go by different names, every school seems to have some area where students gather on gorgeous days to soak up the sun and relax with their BFFs. Whether you call it Old Main Lawn, The Green, The Quad, The Yard, etc., find out where this spot is and spend some time there! It’s usually a great place to get your reading for class done … and watch guys play wiffle ball … shirtless.
-R-
RA: An acronym for Resident Advisor/Resident Assistant.
RAs are trained peer leaders who are employed by the school to keep an eye on the students on their floors and in their halls. I can almost guarantee that during your first few weeks as a freshman, your RA will put together at least one or two “getting to know you” type events (so you should start thinking of words that rhyme with your name now). Unfortunately, having an awesome RA is really the luck of the draw. I know some RAs that really love their job and make getting to know their floors a priority. But there are also some RAs that are just in it for the free room and board and will only make it a point of tracking you down when you’re blasting Backstreet Boys while they’re trying to study for finals (sad but true).
Rager: A common synonym for “party.”
The best part about the word “rage” is that it can be used as basically any part of speech you want and multiple times in the same sentence. For instance, a bro might say to you, “Dude, that rager at our frat was absolutely raging … I can’t wait to rage again next weekend.”
Reading Day: A day that the university or college sets aside before final exams for the purpose of last-minute studying.
Personally, I’d never heard of “reading day” until I talked to my friends at other schools. But I am all for the concept of expanding it to every college! Reading day is a great way for students to finally buckle down and get in some last-minute studying. As for students who have been actively studying, it’s the perfect opportunity to take a breather and watch reruns of “Boy Meets World” for the day … or study more.
Recitation: A weekly meeting for a larger lecture class when you meet with about 30 other students and a TA to discuss class concepts from the lectures, etc.
You might be asking yourself, “Why is recitation on this list? It’s actually a real college word that you could find a definition for in the dictionary.” Here’s why it’s in this dictionary: many college students confuse “recitation” with “I don’t have to go to class that day,” which is WRONG … very, very wrong. Recitations are just as important as (if not more important than) your normal lecture class. Discussing concepts in a smaller group setting is immensely helpful, especially for math and science classes. Your TAs will also be grading most, if not all, of your assignments, so it is good to get to know them! GO TO RECITATION. End of story.
Residential Computing: Computer EMTs; the people who will fix your computer when (inevitably) something bad happens to it the night before your term paper is due.
Depending on your school, the residential computing center may have a cute name (at my school, it’s called ResCom), and trust me when I say that you will want to know where this is. I don’t care how good you are at computers or how often you run virus scans. Something will eventually go wrong, and the residential computing people will save your computer’s life (one time, my roommate even brought them her paper-jammed printer, and they fixed it for her!).
Rush (Rush Week): A week occurring once every semester when those going Greek are required to participate in all sorts of crazy activities in order to be inducted into a certain frat or sorority.
If you see girls in crazy outfits, guys who look perpetually hungover and virtually everyone involved in Greek life looking sleep deprived, you can bet your meal plan that it’s Rush Week.
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-S-
Sexiled: Not being able to stay in your room because your roommate is, shall we say, “entertaining.”
I’d be willing to bet my entire shoe collection that at some point during the year, you’ll be sexiled from your room (especially if your roomie-to-be has a boyfriend from home). Being sexiled is, without a doubt, the most inconvenient part of having a roommate. She’ll bring a guy back very late at night without warning, leaving you with just enough time to grab your ID card and toothbrush before fleeing from your room.
It’s a good idea to have an arrangement worked out to stay with a friend in your building in case one of you gets sexiled from your room.
Sloptart: A girl who drinks entirely too much at a party and, as a result, becomes sloppy, annoying and unattractive to everyone else around her.
This is one of those fun phrases that you never, ever, ever want to have in the same sentence with your name. Obviously, it’s college, and college students drink. But drinking in excess to the point of being deemed a sloptart is not only unattractive, it’s REALLY dangerous. And, worst of all, sloptarts usually don’t remember ever being a sloptart in the first place … but their friends do.
Swipes: The currency of college.
I am in LOVE with my student ID. Not because of my gorgeous picture (and by gorgeous picture, I mean glorified mug shot), but because it absolutely eliminated the need for me to carry a wallet when I’m at school.
On virtually every college campus, your ID card will serve as cash (in the form of “fill in your college mascot here” bucks), meal points, laundry money, library card, dorm key and tickets to sporting events. NEVER EVER lose your ID … it’s more convenient to lose your right arm than your ID (trust me: I’ve had it happen … twice).
Syllabus Week: The first week of classes, during which professors usually only go over the class syllabus and let students out very, very early.
Syllabus Week is the most amazing and misleading five days of college that students face every semester. For starters, it’s a blast. Chances are your 75 minute lecture will last about 15 minutes … just short enough for the professor to give you the SparkNotes version of the class but just long enough for you to become study buddies with the Ashton Kutcher look-alike sitting in front of you.
Especially as a freshman, Syllabus Week is great for spending extra time with new friends and floormates. However, it’s worth saying that your first week of college is NOT what the rest of your semester will be like. If you’re in Quantum Physics 500 and leave after the first class thinking, “Easy A right here,” that feeling will probably only last until next Monday.
-T-
TA: Stands for “teaching assistant.”
Especially at large universities and in any lecture classes beginning with “Intro to” or ending in “101,” you’ll probably have at least one or two TAs for your first few semesters. TAs are typically students who are employed to aid the professor in their teaching, grading and other responsibilities. Usually, any recitation classes you have will be taught by a TA.
The Buddy System: Every collegiette’s safety system.
When going out at night, always have a buddy (someone who will look out for you, and you will look out for them). Remember: never leave a party without your buddy (it’s so hard to break in a new one)!
It’s also worth mentioning The Buddy System’s cousin, “The Signal.” Work out a signal ahead of time with your buddy (or a few buddies) for those awkward moments at parties when you’re dying to get out of a conversation or escape from a creeper.
The Ten-Minute Rule: An unofficial college rule that you can leave a class or lecture if the professor does not show up within 10 to 15 minutes of the scheduled start time.
I personally have yet to have this happen. Without fail, professors usually show up about nine minutes into the 10-Minute Rule (so I wouldn’t get your hopes up for putting this unwritten rule to use). However, the good news is that most professors will cancel at least one class a semester for personal reasons, etc.
Tight and Bright Party: A party that requires attendees to wear items of clothing that are tightly fitted and brightly colored.
I know what you’re thinking … somebody must’ve worked overtime on naming this party theme. Although not the classiest (neon leggings and tube tops anyone?), tight and bright parties remain a college staple, especially at frats. At the very least, tight and brights give you a legit excuse to buy that adorable shirt you saw at the mall that only came in an XXS. This is the one time when too tight = perfect.
-U-
Undergraduate: A term used for any student who is a freshman (or first-year), sophomore, junior or senior in college.
An “undergraduate” is commonly referred to as an “undergrad” and is working toward a bachelor’s degree. This term does not apply to students working toward their master’s degree or PhD.
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-V-
Venereal Disease (VD): Any sexually transmitted disease or infection; includes chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis, syphilis and HIV/AIDS.
Yes, we realize this is not the most fun topic. Okay, it’s not really fun at all. But you need to be aware of it because college campuses are very sexually active, and not everyone protects themselves – causing college students to be more susceptible to VD. Always keep this in mind when you are about to have sex: “No glove, no love.”
-W-
Walk of Shame: The mortifying walk (or run) back to your dorm after spending the previous night in someone else’s dorm room.
Walk of shame girls are usually pretty easy to spot — after all, most of us don’t go for a Saturday morning jog in pumps and a strapless dress. Walks of Shame typically become the center of jokes among friends and are best to be avoided (especially if you just met somebody that night or don’t know them very well). Typically, the walk of shame is the result of being a sloptart the night before.
Written Up: (Also called “underages”) Either receiving a citation from an RA for breaking a dorm policy or a citation from a police officer (usually for consuming alcohol under the age of 21).
Being written up is one of those things you want to avoid throughout college. If you’re smart and make good decisions, there is no reason why “written up” should need to be a part of your collegiette™ vocabulary.
-X-
X: A slang term used to refer to the drug Ecstasy, popular on some college campuses.
This is not a drug to play around with, experiment with or even try once, as it can have very serious and even deadly side effects—stay away!
-Y-
Year: The college equivalent of what grade you are in.
NEVER, under any circumstances, ask anybody what grade they’re in. It will create one of the most awkward silences of your entire life. I guarantee it. Once you’re in college, you have a year, not a grade. And you might be surprised when the answer is more than four.
-Z-
Zombies vs. Humans (or Humans vs. Zombies or HvZ): An intense game of tag that more and more college campuses participate in every year.
If you see a few people dressed as zombies on your college campus, don’t freak out and think the zombie apocalypse is happening. It’s not; instead, it’s probably just a few students participating in a game of HvZ. Not every college campus plays this game, but many do once or twice a year. HvZ is a campus-wide game of tag that students can choose to take part in: there is one person who is chosen to be the “Original Zombie,” and everyone else is a Human. The “Original Zombie” must tag (or “eat”) the Humans, turning them into Zombies. A Zombie must tag/“eat” a human every 48 hours, or they starve to death and are no longer in the game. The Humans win if they survive long enough for the Zombies to starve. On the other hand, the Zombies win if every Human is “eaten” and turned into a Zombie. Sure, HvZ is a little nerdy, but it’s a whole lot of fun.
It’s probably worth mentioning that you can memorize this dictionary from A to Z, but you’ll soon find out that there are some terms that are simply specific to your school. This will be especially apparent when you return to your hometown and your friends have no clue what you’re talking about when you say “grilled sticky” or “Football Eve.” One of my best friends from home and I recently had a very interesting conversation when I mentioned that I had had an especially good brunch one weekend. It turns out “brunch” at her college takes on a WHOLE new meaning. I’ll let you do the math…
Now the only thing left to do is hit print!
Sources:
Collegiettes from across the country
http://www.cdc.gov/STD/
http://humansvszombies.org/rules