![1920 Locust yearbook p](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/1920_Locust_yearbook_p._095_%28Freshman%29.jpg)
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
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...
and
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
level, but also in other forms of
post-secondary educational institutions.
Arab world
In much of the
Arab world
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
, a first-year is called a "Ebtidae" (Pl. Mubtadeen), which is Arabic for "beginner".
Brazil
In Brazil, students that pass the
vestibular
The Vestibular (from pt, vestíbulo, "entrance hall") is a competitive examination and is the primary and widespread entrance system used by Brazilian universities to select the students admitted.
The Vestibular usually takes place from Novem ...
es 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
The University of São Paulo ( pt, Universidade de São Paulo, USP) is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian public university and the country's most prestigious educational institution, the best ...
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
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
.
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 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) ...
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
Year 8 is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand. It is the eighth or ninth year of compulsory education. It is known as Seventh grade in the United States and Canada, and First ...
(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
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
is known as Primary 1 (P1).
At the four ancient Scottish universities the traditional names for the four years at university are Bejan
Bejan (Fr. ''bejaune'', from ''bec jaune'', "yellow beak," in allusion to unfledged birds, and the equivalent to Ger. ''Gelbschnabel'') was a term for freshmen, or undergraduates of the first year, in the Scottish universities. The term is rarely ...
("Bejant" at the University of St Andrews
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
) (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
American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the most widely spoken language in the United States and in most circumstances i ...
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
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 '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
or university study).
First Year Congressional representatives
New members of Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
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 grade
Ninth grade, freshman year, or grade 9 is the ninth year of school education in some school systems. Ninth grade is often the first school year of high school in the United States, or the last year of middle/junior high school. In some countries ...
rs. 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.
See also
* Freshman fifteen
The term "Freshman 15" is an expression commonly used in the United States and Canada that refers to an amount (somewhat arbitrarily set at 15 pounds (6.8 kg), and originally just 10 lbs (4.5 kg)) of weight gained during a student's first ...
* Sophomore
In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. In ...
* Junior (education year)
A junior is person in the third year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. In United States high schools, a junior ...
* Senior (education)
The term senior, in regard to education, has different meanings depending on the country.
United States
In the United States education, a senior is a student in the fourth year of study, either in high school or college/university.
High school
...
* 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, ...
References
External links
{{Authority control
* https://www.makemoneyforsure.com/
Educational stages
Educational years
Types of students
Beginners and newcomers