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Uni students! Do you say 'semester' or 'term' ?

Was a little curious as my mate always refers to term as 'semester' which makes everything sound more formal :tongue:

Which one do you say?

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Semester.
Term is for kids, semester is for adults and its american which makes it better.
(edited 9 years ago)
Term in general, Michaelmas, Lent and Easter if specific as to which term.
Term. Although I'm only in Y12. Semester sounds too American to me.

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Semester. Semester sounds a bit... American and term sounds a bit like you're at school. Besides the uni itself uses the term "semester"
Reply 5
I used both... I thought terms meant autumn term, winter & spring terms etc, seperated by the christmas, easter and summer breaks while semester marked the second part of the academic year where new modules would start.
Term, although I think I'm in the minority to say that amongst my friends. It's just habit from school
Reply 7
Original post by Lewk
I used both... I thought terms meant autumn term, winter & spring terms etc, seperated by the christmas, easter and summer breaks while semester marked the second part of the academic year where new modules would start.


Same with me, my university uses both for different things.
Theres 3 terms in the year; autumn, spring and then summer. With Christmas, Easter and Summer in-between.
Whereas there are 2 semesters in the year; autumn (September through until the end of the January exam season) and then spring (week after the January exam season where new modules start until the end of the academic year in June).
Original post by bittr n swt
Semester.
Term is for kids, semester is for adults and its american which makes it better.


Original post by Edminzodo
Term. Although I'm only in Y12. Semester sounds too American to me.

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Lol I see we have a difference of opinions here.

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Terms as that's what my university uses. My friend always says semester and it just sounds too American lol.
For some reason when talking about my uni course I say semester but when talking about my bf's college course, I say term.
Original post by Lewk
I used both... I thought terms meant autumn term, winter & spring terms etc, seperated by the christmas, easter and summer breaks while semester marked the second part of the academic year where new modules would start.


This. I used them both.
Well they're different things at most uni's. Terms are the periods between holidays and semesters are a grouping of teaching and examination periods. e.g. you might have 9 week terms but semesters will be 12+3 teaching and exam weeks.
I use both but my uni uses semester.
Semester I only have 2 teaching periods a year so it differentiates it from school where you had 3 and called them terms.
Reply 15
At school when uni students came back to visit teachers etc I always thought they were really pretentious when they said 'semester', but I call it a semester now I'm here- everyone at uni/all the lecturers call it semester!
When I go to university, I will start calling them *hipster voice* trimesters.
Semester just because that's the term my uni uses, if they called it term then I would probably do so also.
Term.

I was always under the impression this was what most universities used (mine does, at least) and that semester was the americanised version of the word.
Reply 19
Term.

Semester is what I would call it if I were in America...

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