EvoEnglish

Education — people, studies & verbs

Key vocabulary for talking about schools, universities, qualifications and study habits at B2 level.

B2 · Pre-Advanced Topic · Education

People in education

headteacher (UK) / principal (US): Person in charge of a school, responsible for staff, students and overall organisation.
Example: The principal met the parents at the start of the school year.
lecturer: Teacher at a college or university, often teaching one or more courses.
Example: Our sociology lecturer explains complex ideas very clearly.
professor: Senior university teacher with a permanent post and a high level of expertise.
Example: The professor specialises in modern European history.
academic: Person who teaches or does research at a university or college.
Example: She worked as an academic before moving into publishing.
graduate: Someone who has completed a university degree.
Example: As a recent graduate, he is looking for his first full-time job.
undergraduate: Student who is studying for their first university degree.
Example: As an undergraduate she majored in biology.
postgraduate: Student who is doing further study after finishing a first degree.
Example: He is a postgraduate student in economics.
researcher: Person who investigates a topic in depth to discover new facts or ideas.
Example: The researcher is collecting data for a long-term study.
private tutor: Teacher who gives extra lessons to individuals or small groups outside normal classes.
Example: They hired a private tutor to help their son with maths.
bookworm: Informal word for someone who loves reading and studying.
Example: She’s a real bookworm and spends most evenings with a novel.
dropout: Person who leaves school, college or university before finishing the course.
Example: He was a college dropout but later started his own company.
peers: People who study at the same level or are in the same age group as you.
Example: Group projects helped her build confidence with her peers.

Studies, qualifications & course structure

bachelor’s degree (BA/BSc): First university degree, usually taking three or four years.
Example: She finished her bachelor’s degree in four years.
master’s degree (MA/MSc): Postgraduate qualification showing advanced knowledge in a particular field.
Example: He is doing a master’s degree in engineering.
doctorate (PhD): Highest academic degree, based mainly on original research.
Example: Completing a doctorate requires several years of research.
qualifications: Official certificates, degrees or courses that show what you are trained to do.
Example: Her qualifications made her a strong candidate for the job.
internship: Short-term work placement related to your studies, often to gain practical experience.
Example: The internship at the law firm was very useful.
apprenticeship: Training programme where you work with a skilled professional to learn a trade.
Example: He started an apprenticeship as an electrician.
coursework: Written or practical work done during a course that counts towards the final grade.
Example: Most of the mark comes from coursework, not the exam.
assignment: Specific piece of work that a teacher asks students to complete.
Example: Our next assignment is an essay on modern poetry.
project work: Longer task or series of tasks with a clear goal and deadline.
Example: Their project work on renewable energy won an award.
research: Careful study of a subject in order to discover new information or reach conclusions.
Example: Good research is essential when you write a thesis.
curriculum: Overall plan of what students study in a school, college or university programme.
Example: The curriculum now includes more digital skills.
syllabus: Detailed plan of topics, texts and tasks for one specific course or subject.
Example: She checked the syllabus to see which chapters to read this week.

Study verbs & habits

graduate from (school / university): Finish a course of study successfully and receive a qualification.
Example: He graduated from university with honours in physics.
major in (a subject): Have a particular subject as your main area of study at university.
Example: She decided to major in environmental science.
keep up with (work / coursework): Stay at the same progress level as the rest of the class.
Example: Working part-time, he found it hard to keep up with the readings.
fall behind: Not make progress as fast as others; become late with work.
Example: She fell behind in maths and needed extra help.
take part in (activities): Participate in events such as clubs, competitions or school projects.
Example: Students are encouraged to take part in the drama club.
attend classes / lectures / seminars: Be present at lessons or university sessions.
Example: Attending lectures regularly makes exams much easier.
play truant / skip class: Miss lessons without permission or a good reason.
Example: He got into trouble for skipping class before the test.
procrastinate: Delay doing work you should do now, usually because you don’t feel like doing it.
Example: Many students procrastinate and start essays the night before the deadline.
take out / apply for a student loan: Arrange to borrow money to pay for your studies.
Example: She took out a student loan to cover her tuition fees.
win / get a scholarship: Receive money or free tuition because of good results or special talent.
Example: Getting a scholarship allowed him to study abroad.
do work experience: Complete short-term, usually unpaid work to learn about a job.
Example: The work experience she did in a hospital helped her choose a career.
excel in (a subject / skill): Be very good at a particular area of study or activity.
Example: He always excelled in languages at school.

Study skills university life degrees & courses

Exercises:

Education

Choose the correct option to complete each sentence below.

In a typical British secondary school, the person who leads and manages the whole school is the .

Correct: In the UK, the person in charge of a school is usually called the headteacher (UK).

In an American high school, the person in charge of the school is normally called the .

Correct: In the US, the head of a school is usually the principal (US).

At many universities, a junior member of teaching staff who gives classes but is not a full professor yet is called a .

Correct: A lecturer is a university teacher, usually below the level of professor.

The most senior university teacher, often with a chair in their subject, is usually called a .

Correct: A professor is a very senior university teacher and researcher.

Someone who works at a university, doing teaching and research in a subject, is generally called an .

Correct: An academic is a person who works in higher education and research.

After you have successfully finished a university degree, you become a of that university.

Correct: A graduate has completed a degree course.

A student who is studying for their first degree, usually a bachelor’s, is called an .

Correct: An undergraduate is a student working towards their first degree.

After your bachelor’s degree, if you do a master’s or PhD, you are a student.

Correct: A postgraduate studies for a higher degree after graduating.

In a laboratory, someone who collects data and conducts experiments for new knowledge is a .

Correct: A researcher investigates questions and produces new knowledge.

If you pay someone to teach you individually at home in the evenings, you have a .

Correct: A private tutor teaches one student or a very small group, usually for extra help.

If someone spends all their free time reading and loves books, you can call them a .

Correct: A bookworm is a person who reads a lot and loves books.

If a student leaves school or university without finishing their course, they are called a .

Correct: A dropout is someone who stops studying before completing their course.

At school, teachers often compare your progress with the other students in your age group, your .

Correct: Your peers are people of the same age or status as you.

A first university degree, usually taking three or four years, is called a .

Correct: A bachelor’s degree (BA / BSc) is the first level of university degree.

After your bachelor’s, you can study for a higher degree such as an MA or MSc, called a .

Correct: A master’s degree (MA / MSc) is a postgraduate degree after a bachelor’s.

The highest academic degree, often involving several years of original research, is a .

Correct: A doctorate (PhD) is the highest level of university degree.

Your degrees, diplomas and certificates together are your when you apply for a job.

Correct: Your qualifications are the official exams and courses you have passed.

Many students do an unpaid or low-paid period of work experience in a company, called an .

Correct: An internship is temporary work experience, often for students or graduates.

If you learn a trade like plumbing or carpentry by working with a skilled person and studying at the same time, you are doing an .

Correct: An apprenticeship combines practical work and study to learn a skilled job.

Marks for essays and projects done during the term, not in the final exam, are part of your for that subject.

Correct: Coursework is work done during a course that counts towards your final mark.

The teacher gave us a written to hand in next Monday, so we have to write 1,500 words this weekend.

Correct: An assignment is a specific piece of work that a student must do.

This term we are doing in groups and will present our results at the end of the semester.

Correct: Project work is a longer piece of group or individual work, often with a presentation.

At postgraduate level, students spend a lot of time doing and writing academic papers.

Correct: Research is careful study to discover new facts or ideas.

The official list of subjects and content taught in a school system is called the national .

Correct: The curriculum is the overall plan of what is taught in a school or education system.

At the start of the course, the teacher gave us a showing the topics, readings and deadlines for that particular subject.

Correct: A syllabus is the plan of topics and tasks for one specific course or subject.

Education

Choose the correct option to complete each sentence below.

Education

Sentences

Words

Education

Education