Learn The Lingo

(UNDERSTANDING COLLEGE TERMS)

Academic Advisor/Counselor = one who advises you on the academic requirements to complete a certificate and or degree as well as the requirements for transferring to another college.

Academic Support Services = services provided to students to help them succeed academically. Examples include tutoring, the Writer’s Room, etc.

Associate Degree = a degree obtained by completing 60+ credit hours. This degree may be transfer oriented (if your goal is to get a bachelor’s degree) or career-oriented (if your goal is to get a job immediately).

Bachelor’s Degree = a degree obtained by completing 120+ credit hours. The first 60 hours are usually made up of general education classes and the final 60+ hours consist of major-specific coursework.

Certificate = Students who want to obtain expertise in a field without investing the time needed to earn a college degree may earn a college certificate. Depending on the subject, student may complete many college certificate programs in six months to a year, as they focus on one discipline. In many cases, the credits earned in certificate programs may be applied or transferred to degree programs if you later decide to continue your education.

College Policies = Every college has their own policies that can be found in their student handbook or catalog.

College Time Management = For every hour you are enrolled in/spend in class…you spend 2 hours outside of class studying. (A 15 hr semester = 45 hour commitment.)

Credit Hour = the basic unit of measurement colleges use to define courses. A typical course is 3 credit hours. Tuition is also based on the amount of credit hours you are enrolled in.

Financial Aid = based upon student need, discovered through the completion of various forms and processes, students might be eligible for monetary gifts, work study programs, student loans, etc., to help them pay for educational expenses.

Online Course = a course delivered through the Internet and web-based software. This class format is very flexible for busy schedules due to the fact that you can log on to the course at any time of the day (or night). However, certain computer skills and a degree of determination (no procrastination) are necessary to be successful.

Semester = part of the academic year; DACC has 4 different semesters: Spring (Jan.- May); Summer (June-July); Fall (Aug.-Dec.); and Winter (Dec.-Jan.)