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Etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation verb "stŭdērĕ", which means "to direct one's zeal at"; hence a student is one who directs zeal at a subject. Also known as a disciple in the sense of a religious area of study, and/or in the sense of a "discipline" of learning. In widest use, student is used to mean a school or class attendee. In many countries, the word student is however reserved for higher education or university students; persons attending classes in primary or secondary schools being called pupils.
Currently, many children and teenagers are subject to compulsory education: by law they are required to attend some form of school. Laws vary from country to country, but most students are allowed to abandon their education when they reach the legal age of consent.
Researchers, educators, and education administrators around the world are increasingly heeding student voice, a common reference to the experiences, opinions, ideas, and actions of children and youth in schools. This practice provides authenticity and efficacy for school improvement efforts.
November 17 is the International Students Day, which commemorates those students killed at the beginning of World War II who called for peace; specifically, the date was chosen as a memory to Jan Opletal, and events following his death.
In the UK, the word "student" generally refers to someone studying at an advanced level (non-compulsory education), for example, college and University. The word "pupil" is used for someone attending compulsory education such as High School.
In the USA, where undergraduate degree courses commonly last four years, the following terms are generally used, sometimes also adopted in other countries :
At universities in the United Kingdom the term fresher is used to describe new students. Unlike the American term freshman it sometimes only applies in the first few months of a student's first year; the North American equivalent would be frosh (in singular and plural). The week before the start of a new year is called Freshers Week at many universities, with a programme of special events to welcome new students.
The ancient Scottish University of St Andrews uses the terms bejant for a first year (from the French bec-jaune 'yellow beak', fledgling). Second years are called semi-bejants, third years known as tertians and finally fourth years, or others in their final year of study, even if sooner, are called magistrands.
Although freshman has not been as touched by political correctness as other gender-suggesting words (such as chairman), some have begun calling first-year students freshpersons, and some colleges prefer the British "freshers."
It should also be noted that freshman are generally picked on more than other classes, generally done by seniors. In many traditions (particularly in the USA, and less nowadays in some countries) there is a remainder of the ancient (boarding, pre-commuting) tradition of fagging, he or she may be subjected to a period of hazing as a pledge or rookie, especially if joining a fraternity/sorority or certain other clubs, mainly athletic teams. For example many US High Schools have initiation methods for freshmen including, but not limited to, Freshman Duct-taped Throw, Freshman races, Freshman Orientation, Freshman Freshening (refering to poor hygene among freshman), and the Freshman Spread.
Even after that, specific rules may apply depending on the school's traditions (e.g. wearing a distinctive beanie), non-observance of which can be punished, even by a paddle line
The United States military academies use numerical terms. In order from first year to fourth year, students in these institutions are officially referred to as fourth-class, third-class, second-class, and first-class cadets or midshipmen.
Freshman and sophomore are sometimes used figuratively, mainly in US English usage, to refer for example to a first or second effort ("the singer's freshman album"), or to a politician's first or second term in office ("sophomore senator") or an athlete's first or second year on a professional sports team. Junior and senior aren't used in this figurative way to refer to third and fourth years or efforts, because of those words' broader meanings of 'younger' and 'older'. (A junior senator is therefore not one who is in his or her third term of office, but rather merely one who has not been in the Senate as long as the other senator from his or her state.)