Student

A student is a person who is learning in a school or another place for learning, like a college or university. It also means someone who really likes to learn about a special subject, even if they are not in a class.

In the United Kingdom and many other countries, the word "student" is used for people who go to a secondary school or a place for higher learning. People who go to a primary or elementary school are usually called "pupils".

Being a student is important because it helps people gain knowledge and skills that prepare them for the future. Students learn many things that help them understand the world and make good choices.

Africa

Nigeria

In Nigeria, children go to school in a 6-3-3-4 pattern. This means six years of primary school, three years of junior secondary school, three years of senior secondary school, and four years at the university. Sometimes university study takes longer, depending on the subject.

Children in primary school are called pupils. Those in secondary school and university are called students.

Nigeria also has other schools, like colleges and polytechnics. Colleges train teachers, and polytechnics teach subjects such as engineering, industrialization, and economics.

South Africa

In South Africa, school is divided into four parts: the Foundation Phase for grades 0–3, the Intermediate Phase for grades 4–6, the Senior Phase for grades 7–9, and the Further Education and Training Phase for grades 10–12.

Asia

Singapore

In Singapore, children go to primary school for six years. They start in Primary 1 to 3 when they are aged 7 to 9, and then move to Primary 4 to 6 when they are aged 10 to 12.

After primary school, students go to secondary school from Secondary 1 to 4 or 5. Students in Secondary 1 are 13 years old, and those in Secondary 4 are 16. Some students choose to continue to Junior College for two more years, while others go to Polytechnic for three years. There are special schools with an integrated program, like River Valley High School (Singapore), where students stay in the same school from Secondary 1 through Junior College 2 without taking certain exams at the end of secondary school. International schools follow curricula from other countries, such as British, American, Canadian, or Australian boards.

Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, primary education is required for children aged six to ten years. This five-year primary cycle is known as basic education and covers grades 1 to 5. While sending children to work instead of school is against the law, some children still have to work because of economic challenges. The Primary Education Act of 1990 requires parents or guardians to make sure their children can attend school.

Brunei

Education is free in Brunei and includes both public and private schools. In 2009, Brunei started the GenNEXT education program to help students reach higher qualifications, such as a bachelor's degree.

The education stages in Brunei are:

• Primary School (Year 1 to 6)
• Secondary School (Year 7 to 11)
• High School (or Sixth Form Centers) (Year 12 to 13)
• Colleges (Pre-University to Diploma)
• University Level (Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Professional)

Cambodia

Education is free in Cambodia for students in primary, secondary, and high school.

The school stages are:

• Primary School (Grade 1 to 6)
• Secondary School (Grade 7 to 9)
• High School (Grade 10 to 12)
• College (Year 1 to 3)
• University (Year 1 to 4 or 5)

After basic education, students can choose to study for a bachelor's degree at a college or university, which usually takes four years.

India

In India, school is divided into several stages: Pre-primary (Nursery, Lower Kindergarten or LKG, Upper Kindergarten or UKG), Primary (Class 1–5), Middle Stage (5–7), Secondary (8–10) and Senior Secondary (11–12). Undergraduate studies usually take 3 years, sometimes 4.

Nepal

In Nepal, school is divided into four stages: Primary school (Grade 1 to Grade 5), Upper Primary school (Grade 6 to Grade 8), Secondary school (Grade 9 to 10), and Upper Secondary school (Grade 11 to Grade 12). College studies for a bachelor's degree take three to four years, and a master's degree takes one to two years.

Pakistan

In Pakistan, school is divided into three stages: Primary school, Secondary school and Upper Secondary school. Primary school takes five years, Secondary school takes five years, and Higher Secondary school (also called College) takes another five years. Most bachelor's degrees take four years, followed by a two-year master's degree.

Philippines

The Philippines is changing to a K-12 basic education system. Education starts with one year of kindergarten. Once the change is complete, elementary or grade school will include grades 1 to 6. The Department of Education uses the word 'pupil' for learners in elementary school, especially in public schools, while the word 'student' is used for learners in grade 7 and above.

Secondary school, or high school, has two parts: grades 7 to 10 are called 'junior high school', and grades 11 to 12 are called 'senior high school'. After secondary school, students can choose to study for a bachelor's degree or a master's degree, which take six years to complete. Students can also work toward a PhD.

Iran

In Iran, school is divided into two main stages: Elementary school and High school. Elementary school takes six years, and high school also takes six years. High school is split into junior and senior levels. In senior high school, students choose from six fields of study: Mathematics and physics, Science, Humanities, Islamic science, Vocational, or Work and Knowledge. After finishing high school, students receive a diploma and can take the university entrance exam to study subjects such as Mathematics, Science, Humanities, languages, and art.

Oceania

Australia

In Australia, children can go to pre-school when they are three or four years old, but they do not have to. When children turn five, they start primary school. In New South Wales, this first year is called Kindergarten. In Victoria, it is called Preparatory School, or "prep." In South Australia, it is called Reception. Children in primary school go from year one to year six, and they are ages six to twelve.

After primary school, students go to high school from year seven to year twelve. This means they are ages thirteen to eighteen. After finishing year twelve, students can go to university or get training at a place called Technical and Further Education, known as TAFE.

New Zealand

In New Zealand, children can go to kindergarten or pre-school from ages three to five. When they turn five, they start primary school in "Year One." Primary school goes from Year One to Year Eight. Usually, children go to a local school for their area during these years. In most places, Year Seven and Year Eight are held in a school called an "intermediate" school. From Year Nine to Year Thirteen, students go to secondary school or college.

Europe

Finland

In Finland, a student is called "opiskelija," but children in school are called "oppilas." Children start with preschool, then go to "peruskoulu," which has six years of "alakoulu" and three years of "yläkoulu." After this, many go to high school or vocational school, where they are called students.

France

In France, the word "étudiant" is used for people at university. Students in primary or secondary school are called "élève." First-year university students may be called "bleu" or "bizuth."

Germany

In Germany, the word Student is used for university students. School students are called Schüler. They start in primary school, then move to secondary school. Those attending a special university-preparatory school are called Gymnasiasten.

Greece

In Greece, students are grouped by age: early childhood (ages 0-6), primary (ages 6-12), secondary (ages 12-18), and higher education (ages 18+). There are also centers for ongoing learning.

Ireland

In Ireland, children start primary school at age 5 and attend for eight years. After this, they move to secondary school, beginning with the junior cycle (ages 11–14). At the end of third year, students take the Junior Certificate exam. They can then choose a transition year to help develop personal and social skills before continuing to the senior cycle (ages 16–18), ending with the Leaving Certificate exam.

Italy

In Italy, a first-year university student is called a "matricola." Different terms may be used based on the type of school.

Sweden

In Sweden, only those at university level are called students. After finishing upper secondary school, graduates are called "ta studenten," but they are no longer students unless they start university. Younger students are called "elev."

United Kingdom

Traditionally in the United Kingdom, "student" refers to people studying at university. New university students are often called "freshers." At the University of St Andrews, first-year students are called "bejants," second-years "semi-bejants," third-years "tertians," and final-year students "magistrands."

In England and Wales, primary school starts with an optional nursery year, followed by reception and then "year one" through "year six." Children enter secondary school around age 11–12, starting at "year 7" and going up to "year 11." They can then join the sixth form to continue their studies.

In Northern Ireland and Scotland, primary school starts at ages 3–4 and continues until around age 11–12. Secondary school begins at age 11, with students typically staying until age 16. After that, they can choose to continue studying for advanced levels or start working or attend a technical college.

Americas

Canada

Further information: Education in Canada

Education in Canada is handled by each province and territory, so school names and groups can be different. Schools are usually split into primary (elementary), secondary, and post-secondary stages. Primary and secondary education often include grades from 1 to 12, sometimes starting with one or two years of kindergarten. For example, Ontario, Quebec, and the Northwest Territories have junior and senior kindergarten levels.

Different provinces organize their schools in various ways. In some places, grades 1 to 5 are called elementary school, grades 6 to 8 are middle school or junior high, and grades 9 to 12 are high school. British Columbia, for example, groups kindergarten to grade 7 as elementary and grades 8 to 12 as secondary. In Alberta and Nova Scotia, elementary covers kindergarten to grade 6, junior high is grades 7 to 9, and high school is grades 10 to 12.

In Canada, "college" usually means a school for technical or career training, offering shorter programs than universities. CEGEP is a special type of college in Quebec that prepares students for either university or career training.

United States

Students at Tulane University in the U.S.

In the United States, the first year of school is called kindergarten, and students in this year are known as kindergarteners. Preschool or pre-K is for children ages 2 to 5, especially those getting ready for kindergarten.

Schooling in the U.S. usually includes 9 to 13 years of required education. The first six years are elementary school, from kindergarten to 5th grade. Middle school covers 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. High school includes 9th to 12th grades. Students in high school are called freshmen (9th grade), sophomores (10th grade), juniors (11th grade), and seniors (12th grade).

College students follow similar names: freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors, based on their year of study.

First year

The first year of college or high school is called Freshman year. A freshman is a student in their first year.

Second year

In the U.S., a sophomore is a student in their second year of college, university, or high school.

Post-second year

In the U.S., a Junior is a student in the third year and a Senior is in the fourth year of college, university, or high school. Students who take longer than the usual time to graduate may be called "super seniors."

Graduate students

A graduate student continues studying after finishing their first degree, working toward advanced levels like master's or doctoral degrees.

Vocational school

Students at vocational school learn skills for specific jobs. These programs are shorter than traditional college degrees, usually taking 12 to 24 months to complete.

Student politics

Students often join big cultural and political movements. They share their ideas about social justice, climate change, fair pay, and making education better for all.

Mature students

A mature student is someone who returns to education after a break, often when they are older. These students might have jobs, families, or other responsibilities along with their studies. They bring useful life experiences and ideas to their classes, making learning better for everyone.

Student pranks

For many years, students at universities have enjoyed playing jokes and tricks. This tradition goes back to the time of the Middle Ages. These jokes can sometimes lead to small rule-breaking, like taking traffic cones or other public items. Students from one school might even take or damage the mascot of another school they compete with. Pranksters have written many books about these fun traditions.

Other terms

Students who do not pass their classes and need to take them again might be called "held back" or "kept back." In some places, like England and Wales, children in primary and secondary school are called "pupils" instead of "students." But when they go to college or university, they are called "students."

In places like the United States military schools, students are sometimes called by numbers. For example, a first-year student might be called a "fourth-class" cadet, and a fourth-year student might be called a "first-class" cadet. Some schools also have fun, informal names for each class.

Idiomatic use

Sometimes, words like "freshman" and "sophomore" are used in a different way, mostly in the United States. They can describe a first or second try at something, like a singer’s second album or a politician’s first or second time in office.

The words “junior” and “senior” don’t get used this way for third and fourth tries because they also mean “younger” and “older.” So, a junior senator isn’t in their third term, but just the one who hasn’t been in the Senate as long as the other senator from their state. This can be confusing because someone can be both a freshman senator and a senior senator at the same time. For example, if a senator was elected in 2008 and another senator from the same state was elected in 2010 after the first one stepped down, the first senator would be both the senior senator (having been there longer) and a freshman senator (still in their first term).

International Students' Day

International Students' Day (17 November) is a day to remember students from 1939. That year, students in the University of Prague spoke out against something wrong happening in their country. As a result, the universities were closed, and students had a hard time. This day helps us think about their bravery and why learning and freedom matter.