Inglês para Estudantes Internacionais: Vocabulário Essencial

"academic advisor"

A faculty member assigned to guide students through course selection, degree requirements, and academic challenges

"My academic advisor helped me choose the right modules to complete my degree in three years."

"credit hours"

Units that measure the value of a course; completing the required number earns a qualification

"I need 120 credit hours to graduate, and I have already completed 75 this year."

"office hours"

Set times when a professor is available in their office to meet students for questions or guidance

"I went to office hours to discuss my essay draft with Professor Williams before the submission deadline."

"lecture hall"

A large room where a professor delivers a class to many students simultaneously

"The introductory chemistry lecture was held in the main lecture hall, which seated over 400 students."

"seminar"

A small, interactive class in which students discuss readings, present arguments, and engage with a tutor

"The weekly seminar required everyone to read two articles and come prepared to defend their position."

"transcript"

An official document listing all courses a student has completed and the grades received

"The graduate school required an official transcript showing my final GPA and course history."

"matriculation"

The formal process of enrolling at a university and becoming a registered student

"After matriculation, I received my student ID card and access to all campus facilities."

"induction week"

The first week of term designed to orient new students to campus life, services, and academic expectations

"During induction week, I attended a library tour, a writing workshop, and a welcome reception for international students."

"submission deadline"

The final date and time by which an assignment must be handed in to avoid a grade penalty

"The submission deadline for the research paper is midnight on Friday, so I need to finish my editing by Thursday."

"plagiarism"

Presenting someone else's words, ideas, or work as your own without proper acknowledgement

"The university takes plagiarism very seriously; submitting a paper you did not write yourself can result in expulsion."

"citation"

A reference to a source used in your work, formatted according to a specific academic style such as APA or Harvard

"Every fact I included from an outside source required a citation in the bibliography at the end of my essay."

"thesis statement"

A concise sentence in an essay or paper that states the main argument or central claim

"My tutor said the thesis statement was too broad and asked me to narrow it to a specific aspect of the topic."

"open-book exam"

An examination in which students are permitted to consult their notes or textbooks during the test

"The open-book exam still required thorough preparation because there was not enough time to look everything up during the test."

"grade appeal"

A formal request to have a submitted grade reviewed by the department because the student believes it is incorrect or unfair

"I submitted a grade appeal after discovering that my final essay had been marked down due to an administrative error."

"word count"

The required or maximum number of words for a written assignment, which must be respected within an acceptable margin

"My essay had a 2,000 word count limit, so I had to cut two entire paragraphs from my draft."

"turnitin"

A widely used software platform that checks submitted work for potential plagiarism by comparing it against published texts and other submissions

"The professor required all students to submit their papers through Turnitin before the official submission portal."

"student union"

The campus organisation run by students that provides social events, clubs, support services, and a venue for student life

"I joined the international students' society through the student union and met people from over 30 countries."

"halls of residence"

University-owned accommodation buildings, typically offering single rooms with shared or en-suite bathrooms for students

"I lived in halls of residence during my first year, which made it easy to meet other new students."

"learning resource centre"

A facility combining a library, computer workstations, study spaces, and academic support services for students

"The learning resource centre was open 24 hours during exam season so students could study through the night."

"campus shuttle"

A free or subsidised bus service that transports students between different parts of a university campus or to nearby accommodation

"I took the campus shuttle between the science block and the sports centre every Tuesday afternoon."

"IT helpdesk"

A university support service that assists students with technical issues related to computers, software, and online systems

"The IT helpdesk helped me set up my university email account and configure the VPN for remote library access."

"welfare officer"

A university staff member or student representative responsible for supporting student wellbeing, mental health, and personal difficulties

"When I was struggling with homesickness, my welfare officer arranged free counselling sessions and a peer support group."

"refectory"

A large cafeteria or dining hall on campus where students can purchase hot meals and snacks

"The refectory served affordable lunches and had separate sections for vegetarian, vegan, and halal options."

"study pod"

A small, enclosed workspace in a library or learning centre designed for individual focused study

"I booked a study pod for three hours to finish revising before my statistics exam without any distractions."

"student visa"

An official government permit that authorises a foreign national to reside in a country for the purpose of full-time study

"I applied for my student visa three months before the start of term to ensure it arrived in time."

"CAS number"

A Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies reference number issued by a UK university to international students applying for a student visa

"The university sent me my CAS number as soon as I paid the tuition deposit, so I could proceed with my visa application."

"biometric residence permit"

A card issued to visa holders in the UK that serves as official proof of identity, visa status, and the right to work or study

"I collected my biometric residence permit from the post office within ten days of arriving in the UK."

"immigration compliance"

The obligation for international students to follow all conditions of their visa, including attendance and academic progression requirements

"The international student adviser explained the immigration compliance rules, including the minimum attendance rate I had to maintain."

"right to work"

The legal authorisation for a student visa holder to undertake paid employment up to the permitted weekly hours during term time

"My student visa gave me the right to work up to 20 hours per week during term time, which helped cover living expenses."

"leave to remain"

Official permission granted by a government for a foreign national to stay in the country for a specified period

"I applied to extend my leave to remain before graduation so I could complete a dissertation submitted later than expected."

"ATAS clearance"

Academic Technology Approval Scheme clearance required by the UK government for certain international students studying subjects with national security implications

"My application for an engineering master's programme required ATAS clearance, which took six weeks to process."

"tier 4 sponsor"

A UK university or college that holds a licence from the Home Office to recruit and sponsor international students on student visas

"As a tier 4 sponsor, the university was legally required to report any unexplained absences from enrolled international students."

"tuition fee"

The charge levied by a university for teaching and academic services, which international students typically pay at a higher rate than domestic students

"International tuition fees at the university were £18,000 per year, separate from living and accommodation costs."

"scholarship"

A financial award given to a student based on academic merit, financial need, or other criteria that does not need to be repaid

"I was awarded a full scholarship that covered both tuition fees and a monthly living stipend."

"bursary"

A non-repayable financial grant awarded by a university or charity to students facing financial hardship

"The university's international student bursary helped me cover the cost of textbooks and laboratory equipment."

"hardship fund"

Emergency financial support provided by a university to students experiencing unexpected or severe financial difficulties

"When my family's remittance was delayed for two months, I applied to the hardship fund to cover my rent."

"stipend"

A regular fixed payment provided to a student, typically as part of a scholarship, fellowship, or research assistantship

"My PhD scholarship included a monthly stipend of £1,500 to cover living expenses during my research."

"fee waiver"

A partial or complete exemption from tuition or application fees granted to eligible students

"The college offered a fee waiver for the application process to students from low-income countries."

"guarantor"

A person who agrees to be legally responsible for a student's rent or financial obligations if the student cannot pay

"The private landlord required a UK-based guarantor, which was difficult for me as a new international student."

"cost of attendance"

The total estimated annual cost of studying at a university, including tuition, accommodation, food, travel, and personal expenses

"Before accepting my offer, I calculated the full cost of attendance to make sure my scholarship would be sufficient."

"freshers' week"

The first week of university in the UK, filled with social events and activities designed to help new students make friends and settle in

"Freshers' week was overwhelming but I managed to meet my closest friends at a quiz night on the third day."

"culture shock"

The disorientation and stress that comes from experiencing an unfamiliar culture, social norms, or environment

"I experienced culture shock during my first month, particularly around the indirect communication style and the weather."

"buddy scheme"

A university programme that pairs new international students with experienced students who help them settle into campus life

"The buddy scheme connected me with a second-year student who showed me around campus and explained how seminars work."

"peer study group"

An informal group of students who meet regularly to review course material, share notes, and prepare for examinations together

"I joined a peer study group for my economics module and found it helped me understand concepts I had missed in lectures."

"networking event"

A structured social or professional gathering where students can meet industry professionals, alumni, or fellow students

"I attended a networking event hosted by the careers centre and spoke to three recruiters from multinational companies."

"extracurricular activities"

Clubs, sports, societies, and volunteering opportunities that students participate in outside of their formal academic programme

"Taking part in extracurricular activities such as the debate club helped me improve my spoken English significantly."

"accommodation contract"

A legally binding agreement between a student and a housing provider that sets out the rental terms, duration, and obligations

"I read the accommodation contract carefully before signing and noticed a clause about a four-week notice period to leave."

"home sickness"

The emotional distress or longing for home, family, and familiar surroundings experienced when living far away

"The counselling service offered group sessions specifically for international students dealing with home sickness during their first term."