A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions.

Arab world

In much of the Arab world, a first-year is called a "Ebtidae" (Pl. Mubtadeen), which is Arabic for "beginner".

Brazil

In Brazil, students that pass the vestibulares and begin studying in a college or university are called "calouros" or more informally "bixos" ("bixetes" for girls), an alternate spelling of "bicho", which means "animal" (although commonly used to refer to bugs). Calouros are often subject to

hazing Hazing (American English), initiation, beasting (British English), bastardisation (Australian English), ragging (South Asian English) or deposition refers to any activity expected of someone in joining or participating in a group that humiliates, ...

, which is known as "trote" (lit. "prank") there. The first known hazing episode in Brazil happened in 1831 at the Law School of

Olinda Olinda () is a historic city in Pernambuco, Brazil, in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region. It is located on the country's northeastern Atlantic Ocean coast, in the Recife metropolitan area, Metropolitan Region of Recife, the state capi ...

and resulted in the death of a student. In 1999, a

Chinese Brazilian Chinese Brazilians ( pt, Sino-brasileiro, italic=yes or ''Chinês-brasileiro''; zh, c=巴西華人 / 巴西华人 or 巴西華裔 / 巴西华裔) are Brazilians of Chinese ancestry or birth. The Chinese Brazilian population was estimated to be a ...

calouro of the University of São Paulo Medicine School named Edison Tsung Chi Hsueh was found dead at the institution's swimming pool; this has since become one of the most well known episodes of violent hazing and has received extensive national media coverage since that year.

Canada

The term 'first year' or 'frosh' is used for a first-year student at university or college.

East Asia

Some East Asian countries use the same names as used in the United States (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior), among them Malaysia.

Germany

In Germany, a first-semester student of a university program (Bachelor, Master, State exam etc) is called ''Erstsemester'', or in short and more common, ''Ersti'', with "erst" meaning ''first'' and the -i adding a benevolently diminutive tone. The plural is ''Erstis''. It's worth noting that unlike the word ''freshman'', which stands for a student in their whole first ''year'', the German word ''Ersti'' is exclusively used for students in their first semester. Students of higher semesters are accordingly called ''Zweitsemester'', ''Drittsemester'', ''Viertsemester'' etc. and sometimes, but rarely, also ''Zweitis'', ''Drittis'', ''Viertis'', etc. for fun.

United Kingdom

England and Wales

Students in their first year of university are often known in England and Wales as freshers; however, first years is more common. The first week of term is widely known as freshers' week where there are usually no classes and students take part in induction events and fairs. Unlike in Scotland, this term is not used in reference to pre-university education, the equivalent terms being Year sevens for the first year of

and first years, lower sixers and Year Twelves used at sixth forms.

Scotland

First year (also known as S1 in Scotland) is the first year of schooling in

secondary schools in Scotland The lists of schools in Scotland are divided into several articles: *List of independent schools in Scotland, Independent schools in Scotland *List of state schools in Scotland (city council areas), State schools in City Council Areas *List of ...

and is roughly equivalent to Year 8 (Second Form) in England and Wales and Year 9 (Second Form) in Northern Ireland. Most pupils are 12 or 13 years old at the end of S1. The first year of primary education in Scotland is known as Primary 1 (P1). At the four ancient Scottish universities the traditional names for the four years at university are Bejan ("Bejant" at the University of St Andrews) (1st), Semi (2nd), Tertian (3rd) and Magistrand (4th), though all Scottish universities will have a "freshers' week" (as with all British universities) and the term is as widely used with more traditional terms.

United States

Beginner

Freshman is commonly in use as a US English

idiom An idiom is a phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase; but some phrases become figurative idioms while retaining the literal meaning of the phrase. Categorized as formulaic language, ...

atic term to describe a beginner or novice, someone who is naive, a first effort, instance, or a student in the first year of study (generally referring to high school or university study).

First Year Congressional representatives

New members of Congress in their first term are referred to as ''freshmen senators'' or ''freshmen congressmen or congresswomen'', no matter how experienced they were in previous government positions.

First year high school students

High school first year students are almost exclusively referred to as freshmen, or in some cases by their grade year, 9th graders. Second year students are sophomores, or

10th grade Tenth grade or grade 10 (called Year Eleven in England and Wales, and sophomore year in the US) is the tenth year of school post-kindergarten or the tenth year after the first introductory year upon entering compulsory schooling. In many parts of ...

rs, then juniors or

11th grade Eleventh grade, 11th grade, junior year, or grade 11 (called Year 12 in Wales and England and fifth form in Jamaica) is the eleventh, and for some countries final, grade of secondary schools. Students are typically 16–17 years of age, depending ...

rs, and finally seniors or

12th grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

rs.

First year university students

At college or university, freshman denotes students in their first year of study. The grade designations of high school are not used, but the terms sophomore, junior, and senior are kept at most schools. Some colleges, including historically women's colleges, do not use the term freshman but use first year, instead. Beyond the fourth year, students are simply classified as fifth year, sixth year, etc. Some institutions use the term freshman for specific reporting purposes.

References

External links

{{Authority control * https://www.makemoneyforsure.com/ Educational stages Educational years Types of students Beginners and newcomers