Vocabulary

• Academic Advisor – a faculty member appointed to assist students in the planning of their academic career. Students can find out who this person is by asking at the Registrar’s Office.
• Academic Probation – As a result of poor grades, students are issued a warning that states they are in danger of dismissal at a future date unless there is improvement in academic performance.
• Add a Course – To register for a course you were not previously enrolled in.
• Assignment – Work to be done out of class required by a professor and due by a certain date.
• Audit – Allows a student to attend a class without receiving a grade or any credit. Course requirements and fees are usually the same as those for credit.
• Blue books – A small booklet of paper with a blue cover usually used for essay type exams. These can be purchased in the Bookstore.
• Core Curriculum – A specific class a student attends for one semester. A student typically receives one to five credit hours for each course. A degree program is made up of a specific number of credit hours that are accumulated by taking a number of required and elective courses. A class schedule is published each semester and courses offered by the university are assigned a title and CRN number.
• Drop a Course – To withdraw from a course
• Drop/Add – The period in the first week of the semester during which you may change your program of study by adding and dropping courses.
• DSO – Designated School Official. This person at Shepherd is Mary Beth Walling.
• Electives – Courses that are not required for an intended degree, but which can be taken for credit and applied towards the degree.
• Finals – Last examinations of a semester.
• Flunk – To fail to achieve a passing grade
• GPA – Grade Point Average in any academic subject matter.
• Incomplete – A temporary mark given to a student who is doing passing work in a course but who cannot complete all the requirements for the course during the term or semester. The student must have a valid reason and must complete the requirements within a period of time acceptable to the instructor. Indicated by an “I” on the student’s grade report.
• Mid-Terms - Examinations given in the middle of the semester. 
• Prerequisite – Program or courses that a student is required to complete before being permitted to enroll in a more advanced program or course.
• Prof. – A professor.
• Rambler – The Student Identification card at Shepherd University.
• Reading list or Syllabus – A list of books and articles prepared by each professor for his or her specific course. Required and suggested texts are usually indicated as such. This list is designed to give the student an adequate introduction and survey of the particular course of study.
• Registration – Procedure of arranging an academic program at the beginning of each semester.
• RA – Resident Advisor
• Semester – One academic term which is half of the academic year.
• Skipped, Skipped Out – To fail to attend a class, meeting, etc.
• Skim – To read something quickly to get a general idea of its contents.
• Transcript – Official record of past grades and courses taken by a student; available at the Registrar Office.

Special Dates of Interest

• New Year’s Day - Celebrated January 1. Most schools, businesses, and banks are closed.
New Year’s Eve - December 31, is generally more important to Americans as they gather to celebrate when the clocks hit midnight.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday – Celebrated on a Monday in mid-January and schools, banks, and government buildings are closed. King organized and led the civil rights movement in America in the 1960’s.
• Groundhog Day – February 2. This is not an official holiday but celebrates a legal of a Pennsylvania groundhog named Puxatawny Phil. The legend says that if he sees his shadow when he comes out of his burrow there will be 6 more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, then spring is near.
• Valentine’s Day – February 14. This day is set aside to tell someone you care about them. It is also called the lover’s holiday which is celebrated by sending cards, flowers, candy, or jewelry. It is not an official holiday.
• Saint Patrick’s Day – March 17. It is an Irish holiday dedicated to the patron saint of Ireland. This is not an official holiday.
• April Fools Day – April 1. This day is marked by playing practical jokes on friends and colleagues. It is not an official holiday.
• Easter – The date varies from year to year. This is a Christian religious celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Colored eggs, rabbits, and chickens are symbols of this holiday. Christians go to church, have special meals, and organize egg hunts for children. This holiday is always on a Sunday.
• Memorial Day – Either the last Monday in May or May 30. Memorial Day was created to honor members of the US armed forces who have died. There may be parades and special ceremonies. Many people celebrate this as the beginning of summer with picnics.
• Flag Day – June 14. The American flag is flown on homes and office buildings to mark the adoption of the American flag.
• Independence Day – July 4. This is the national celebration of the American declaration of independence from Great Britain. It is traditionally celebrated with parades, picnics, and fireworks. Decorations are usually red, white, and blue.
• Labor Day - The first Monday in September. This holiday recognizes people who work by giving them a day or rest. It signals the end of summer and features outdoor activities.
• Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur – The Jewish New Year and the Jewish Day of Atonement are both celebrated on varying dates in September or November.
• Halloween – October 31. It was originally called All Souls Day or All Saint’s eve and was believed to be the night the dead returned to roam the earth as ghosts. Children dress up in costumes and go trick or treating where they walk around to neighbor’s doors and gather candy.
• Thanksgiving - This is a celebration of the bounty of the harvest. Many families will prepare large meals including turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing and invite family to join them.
• Christmas – December 25. The day commemorates the birth of Jesus and is usually celebrated by exchanging gifts, decorated trees, and feasts.

Other Useful Links

• EduPass - The Smart Student Guide to Studying in the United States
• International Student – Information on studying in the USA