Word Groups by Topic

qualification  
n. an official record showing that you have finished a training course or have the necessary skills
You'll never get a good job if you don't have any qualifications.
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enroll  
v. to put yourself or someone else onto the official list of members of a course, college, or group
He is enrolled as a part-time student.
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discipline  
n. a particular area of study, esp. a subject studied at a college or university
Sociology is a fairly new discipline.
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distance learning  
n. a teaching system consisting of video, audio, and written material designed for a person to use in studying a subject at home
We believe that distance learning offers a way of overcoming shortages of qualified instructors.

boarding school  
n. a school where pupils live in during the school term
She sent her son to a boarding school in the East.

bachelor's degree  
n. a first degree awarded by universities
He received his bachelor's degree last year.

master's degree  
n. an advanced college or university degree
He took a master's degree in economics at Yale.

higher education  
n. education beyond high school, especially at a college or university
The number of pupils from his school entering higher education has doubled in a year.

intensive course  
n. a course that offers longer and more frequent classes
It's an intensive course, highly satisfying, and it works very well.

internship  
n. a period of time during which a student works for a company or organization in order to get experience of a particular type of work
Students undertake a summer internship of eight to ten weeks between their first and second years.
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humanity  
n. studies about human culture, such as literature, languages, philosophy, and history
Humanities and the social sciences have been slow to catch up.
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conduct  
v. to organize and direct a particular activity
The experiments were conducted by leading scientists.
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acquire  
v. to get or gain something
I seem to have acquired two copies of this book.
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compulsory  
a. required by law or a rule
Swimming was compulsory at my school.
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semester  
n. a half-year term in a school or college, typically lasting fifteen to eighteen weeks
In the elementary and secondary schools and college, the academic year is divided in semesters.
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major  
v. to study something as your main subject at college or university
She majored in philosophy at Harvard.
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faculty  
n. the people who teach in a department in a college
He has been a faculty member at the college for 20 years.
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intriguing  
a. very interesting because of being unusual or mysterious
She has a really intriguing personality.
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intrinsic  
a. belonging naturally; essential
Maths is an intrinsic part of the school curriculum.
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curriculum  
n. the subjects studied in a school, college
Maths is an intrinsic part of the school curriculum.
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syllabus  
n. an outline of the subjects in a course of study or teaching
There isn't time to cover the syllabus.
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multinational  
a. involving several different countries
I would prefer to work in a multinational company.
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dropout  
n. a student who leaves school before finishing the course of instruction
As a high school dropout he’ll never get a decent job.
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coursework  
n. work set at regular periods as part of an educational course
The graduate program combines coursework and internship.
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bookworm  
n. a person devoted to studying or reading
Hermione Granger is a bookworm who would much rather spend her time in the library reading than socializing.
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eager beaver  
n. a person who is willing to work very hard
My friend is a real eager beaver, working 11 hours a day.

face-to-face classes  
n. a traditional way of studying, students are in a classroom with a teacher
When offering online courses, many schools have found that enrolled students will progress at a pace different from face-to-face classes.

hit the books  
v. to study, very intensely
You better hit the books if you want to pass your exam on Wednesday.

schoolboy error  
n. a very basic and stupid mistake
Sending the wrong message to the wrong group is a schoolboy error.

teacher's pet  
n. a school pupil who is favored by the teacher
She was teacher's pet, and everyone hated her.

attend  
v. to go to an institution such as a school, college, or church regularly
She had an upset stomach and was unable to attend classes.
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goof around  
v. spend time doing silly things
They just goof around, roll around on the floor and fight.

meet a deadline  
v. to finish something within a time limit
Working under pressure to meet a deadline had a motivating effect.

pass with flying colours  
v. to pass easily and with excellent result
Now he's gone back to driving school in an effort to pass with flying colours.

play truant  
v. to stay away from school without permission
She was getting into trouble over playing truant from school.

tuition  
n. teaching, especially when given to a small group or one person, such as in a college or university
All students receive tuition in logic and metaphysics.
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