Do you use the words university and college interchangeably? (1 Viewer)

[Ahsoka]

In the US there’s technically a distinction, but almost no one actually knows that. For me I’ve said that I went to college and that I went to uni when I actually went to another category. But the is used interchangeably. I do know that in some places there is a commonly accepted difference though

 

[StirFriedPanda]

College usually refers to a college that has up to a bachelor's while university's will carry you to a PHD.

 

[dark_tranquility]

TAFE is here as well

Technical and Further Education

 

[Ahsoka]

College usually refers to a college that has up to a bachelor's while university's will carry you to a PHD.

Is that a distinction you’d make colloquially? For example, would you automatically assume that if someone says they’re a college student that their program offers post grad options? I have heard that they’re technical difference is that universities offer postgrad programs, but in my region of the US people colloquially don’t differentiate and use college as a term for all higher education really

 

[StirFriedPanda]

Is that a distinction you’d make colloquially? For example, would you automatically assume that if someone says they’re a college student that their program offers post grad options? I have heard that they’re technical difference is that universities offer postgrad programs, but in my region of the US people colloquially don’t differentiate and use college as a term for all higher education really

My professor explained this in my required "Introduction to college" class... Yes, I was required to take a class on "how to go to college". And colleges are shocked people are beginning to think it's a scam.

 

[ChiaraStar169]

I use them interchangeably. Like, there's a college in my area that's really called a university, but it's more like a college bc it's only two years. And then, there's State COLLEGE, Pennsylivania, and I believe (I could be wrong) that's where Penn State UNIVERSITY is located.

 

[Ahsoka]

I use them interchangeably. Like, there's a college in my area that's really called a university, but it's more like a college bc it's only two years. And then, there's State COLLEGE, Pennsylivania, and I believe (I could be wrong) that's where Penn State UNIVERSITY is located.

Yeah I don’t think I’ve ever heard a college town for a university be called a university town. My sister is at a university and the college town is only ever called a college town.

 

[karenina]

I normally say university more often but in some cases, I would say college

 

[catonkatonk]

In the UK, we have mandatory education from 5-16, which is "primary" and "high" school (you go into high school at 11). 16-18, we have "college", which is our first round of further education. It's optional. You usually get "A-Levels" there, but they also offer technical & vocational qualifications. University is after that, and offers both undergrad (such as bachelors degrees) and post-grad (such as masters or phd) studies & research.

Americans might be interested to know that bachelors degrees take three years to complete here, and that's partly because specialisation begins at the college level, and because study in university is usually completely specialised (no minor).

Nobody ever conflates "college" and "university" here. We also never use "school" to refer to college or university. School is exclusively used for the primary/high school. I'm gathering from this thread that "university" technically means something different in the US...

 

[Ahsoka]

In the UK, we have mandatory education from 5-16, which is "primary" and "high" school (you go into high school at 11). 16-18, we have "college", which is our first round of further education. It's optional. You usually get "A-Levels" there, but they also offer technical & vocational qualifications. University is after that, and offers both undergrad (such as bachelors degrees) and post-grad (such as masters or phd) studies & research.

Americans might be interested to know that bachelors degrees take three years to complete here, and that's partly because specialisation begins at the college level, and because study in university is usually completely specialised (no minor).

Nobody ever conflates "college" and "university" here. We also never use "school" to refer to college or university. School is exclusively used for the primary/high school. I'm gathering from this thread that "university" technically means something different in the US...

Yeah in the US a university would technically just mean a place for higher education that offers bachelors and graduate options. But in reality there are definitely colleges that do too, though I’m not positive if there are any universities that don’t. There might be. And even that distinction is only a technicality rather than being used in regular life

 

[eclipsoul]

in polish it's uniwersytet so i use university to avoid confusion