Student Orientation - Terminology

Terminology

The week before the term starts is known as: Frosh (or frosh week) in most colleges and universities in the United States/Canada, others call it by the acronym SOAR for Student Orientation And Registration; Freshers' week in the majority of the United Kingdom and Ireland and Orientation week or O-week in countries such as Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, but also in some Canadian universities. In Sweden, it is known as nollning (from nolla, "zero", in this case meaning zeroth-year student, i.e., before the first university year starts) or inspark (being "kicked in" to university life). Orientation week is the coming phrase in the United States. Some schools use the acronym WOW for Week of Welcome.

In Canada, first year students are called "Frosh" or "first years." In the United States, first year university students are typically referred to as freshmen. In Australia and New Zealand first year students are known simply as "first years", although in some the colleges of the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney they are also called "Freshers". In the U.K. and Ireland first year students are known as freshers or first years. Freshies is also an emerging term in New Zealand. In Sweden, the student is a nolla (a "zero") during the orientation period and usually upgraded to the status of an etta (student who is in her/his first college term) at a ceremony involving a fancy three-course dinner and a lots of singing.