“Hey bro! Wanna pregame at my place before the woodser?”
“Can’t, dude. I’m marathoning then I got work study.”
If you understood every word in this conversation, congratulations! You’re a full-fledged college student (or you’re just really hip with current lingo). If you didn’t, fear not. CM created a college dictionary of all the cool college words you’ll need to know before you hit campus.
Keep reading for all the college words you need to become fluent in before day one.
A
ABC Party
A party where you go dressed in literally anything but actual clothing
“Hey, Todd! Did you see what Jessica was wearing at the ABC Party last Saturday? She looked fineeeeee covered in sticky notes.”
After-Party
A party after the main party ends; usually more intimate than the main event
“Why do the bars have to close at 2 a.m.?” “Don’t worry, Mike’s having an after-party at his place.”
All-Nighter
When a student skips sleep for a night to cram for an exam (or any other school-related work)
“Man, I need like three shots of espresso this morning. I just pulled an all-nighter.”
B
Beer goggles
When you get so drunk you begin seeing unattractive people as attractive
“Wow, Jason looks so hot tonight.” “Becky, take your beer goggles off. Jason is gross.”
“Big”
An older member of a sorority/fraternity who becomes a big sister/brother to a new member; a role model for a Greek pledge; see “little”
“I love my big! She got me so much candy during Big/Little Week.”
Blacked-out
When you consumes so much alcohol that your brain shuts off; often leads to waking up in someone else’s bed and wondering how you got there
“How the heck did I get home? And where the hell is my shirt? I’m never blacking-out again.”
Breaking the seal
When you use the bathroom way too early during a night of drinking, forcing you to use the bathroom repeatedly and hate yourself
“Where the hell is Jen?”
“Probably the bathroom.”
“Again?!”
“Yeah, what do you expect? She broke the seal within the first hour.”
A typical college male who likes to party; often found in a tank at the gym or in a tank at a party/bar/club/class/church/anywhere
“Ugh, Alex is such bro.” “But look at his muscles.” *swoons*
B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Beer/Booze)
When a party host requests that the attendees bring their own alcohol to the party
“Maggie’s party is B.Y.O.B., so I’m bringing a six-pack of beer for me, myself and I.”
D
Darty
A party that happens during the day or lasts all day long; also known as a “dayger” or “daylong”
“Bro, I’m beat from that darty. I’m staying in tonight.”
Dead Week
The week before finals, when students are done with all major assignments but have to study for exams
“If I didn’t have this orgo final I’d be partying during dead week.”
Dormcest
Having romantic relations and/or hooking up with someone in the same dorm as you
“Did you see Carlos and Samantha together last night?” “Yeah, they’re totally having dormcest.”
Drop/Add Week
A week where students are allowed to drop classes without a penalty (see withdrawal) or add a new class to their schedule
“Holy crap, did I just bomb that bio test? God bless drop/add week.”
F
FAFSA
The free application college students use to determine their eligibility for financial aid, grants, loans and work-study programs
“You’re saying I have to apply for FAFSA every year?!”
Fifteen-minute rule
A rule that if a professor doesn’t show up 15 minutes after the class’s start time, students are allowed to leave
“If the professor doesn’t show up in the next few minutes we can leave.”
“Says who?”
“Fifteen-minute rule.”
FOMO (Fear of missing out)
Irrational fear college students have that they will miss something amazing if they stay home one evening
“Are you seriously going out? You have an exam tomorrow morning.” “Dude…FOMO!”
Formal
A college dance usually thrown by a sorority/fraternity; typically an extravagant event
“Zach just invited me to formal! I need a new dress!”
“You have like a hundred.”
“Yes, Amy, and are any of them new?”
Friends with benefits (FWB)
A friend that you casually hook up with; a sexual relationship that may lead to a broken heart(s)
“Sarah, are you sure Bryan isn’t in love with you?” “No, he’s just my FWB.”
Freshman 15
The 15 pounds a freshman may (or may not) gain during their first semester away from home
“Ugh, I can’t fit into my jeans anymore. I guess Freshman 15 is real.”
F—ked up
Going into the weekend with the mindset of getting absurdly drunk
“I got so f—ked up last night that I think I made out with Sarah.”
“You can’t remember if it was Sarah?”
“It was definitely Sarah, I’m just not sure if I passed out before we made out.”
G
GDI
Gamma Delta Iota: an fictitious for anyone who is not involved in Greek life; also known as “god damn independent”
“Greg just invited me to his frat party!”
“What frat is his in?”
“Gamma Delta Iota.”
*face palm*
Greek Week
A weeklong celebration for those involved in Greek life; a week of bonding and showing off Greek pride
“I definitely reached a new level of bonding with my sisters after Greek Week.”
I
Intramurals
Organized recreational sports formed for students at a university
“I wasn’t good enough for the NCAA so I joined my university’s intramural basketball team.”
K
Kegger
A party involving beer, lots of beer, from a keg
“I heard Andrea ordered 10 kegs for her kegger!”
Keg and Eggs
A morning party involving a keg
“My eggs are a little dry. Can I have some beer from that keg?”
Keg stand
Legs held in the air, one person does a handstand on a keg while trying to drink as much beer as possible without puking
“Did you see Ben doing a keg stand for 16 seconds? What a champ.”
L
“Little”
A new member of a sorority/fraternity who becomes a little sister/brother so an older member of the sorority/fraternity; see “big”
“Even though my little is a freshman, he really knows how to hang.”
M
Marathoning
When a college students spends hours on end either studying or watching television (i.e. Netflix)
“Dude we missed you last night.” “Sorry, bro. I was marathoning for my macro class.”
Mixer
A small party held between one sorority and one fraternity (no outsiders allowed)
“I got to know Michelle so much more after that mixer.”
Munchies
When a person eats a large amount of food after a night of drinking and/or other substance use
“Did you just eat an entire box of pizza?” “Yeah, girl. I have the munchies.”
N
N.A.R.P.
A non-athletic regular person
“Dylan sprained his ankle by walking down the stairs.”
“Ah, N.A.R.P.?”
“For sure.”
Netflixer
Referred to a class that is so easy one can watch Netflix during the lecture
“My humanities course this semester is a total Netflixer.”
O
Office Hours
Time a professor sets aside so students may meet in his or her office to discuss grades and/or assignments
“I bombed my last trig exam. I’m going to have to see our professor during her office hours.”
P
Pregame
Drinking before going out at night
“Pregame at Hannah’s place before we hit the clubs tonight!”
Prerequisite
A course a college student needs to take before advancing to another course; also known as a “prereq”
“I just need one more prereq before I can take my upper level courses.”
Q
Quad
An area on campus that serves as a hangout/meeting spot for students
“Meet me at the quad after class. I have juicy gossip.”
R
R.A. (Resident Advisor)
A student trained to be in charge of the other students living in the same residence hall as them; will likely pair you with another student for an awkward icebreaker
“Have you met our new R.A.? She seems less scary than Carol.”
Rager
An intense party
“I went so hard at that rager last night I hardly remember it.”
Reading day
A day or two your school will set aside right before finals so you can cram; a day or two for students to watch Friends on Netflix if they don’t have finals to study for
“I have so much studying to do. Bless the person who came up with reading days.”
Rush Week
A week that occurs once a semester where pledges are required to participate in challenging “activities” and/or wear strange outfits in order to be inducted into sorority or fraternity
“Girl, what’s up with that ridiculous outfit?” “Rush Week.”
S
Senioritis
When a senior is in their final semester of college and they begin to get lazy about coursework; a fatal illness
“I was going to start my research paper last week but…senioritis.”
Sexiled
When you’re exiled from your dorm room because your roommate is getting freaky in the sheets
“Can I stay at your place tonight? Veronica is hosting a guest in our room tonight…again.”
Struggle Bus
When one’s courseload is beyond overwhelming
“I have two exams and a paper due this week…I’m riding the struggle bus.”
T
T.A. (Teacher’s Assistant)
A professor’s assistant that aids in grading, teaching, etc.; a graduate student who is usually there for you when your professor isn’t available
“I have a question about the syllabus. Should I ask our professor?” “Nah, dude. Ask our T.A. first.”
Tailgate
A gathering that takes place before a sporting event (i.e. football) on campus or at a parking lot where lots of booze and barbeque food is involved
“Where’s Erick? I thought he was coming to the game?” “He had to go home. Got too turnt at the tailgate.”
Turkey Dump
When a college student goes home for Thanksgiving break and dumps his or her high school sweetheart
“How was your Thanksgiving break?”
“I got turkey dumped…”
“Was the turkey good at least?”
W
Walk of Shame
The dreaded morning walk back to your dorm after spending a night at someone else’s while wearing your party clothes from the night before
“Dear God in heaven, please forgive me for this walk of shame.”
Withdrawal
When you drop a course after drop/add week and have to pay the school back for it
“Bro, why are you crying?” “I have to spend my booze money to withdraw from this course.”
Woodser
A rager that happens in the woods in which students get drunk, listen to loud music and possibly engage in sexual activities
“Last night’s woodser was wild!” “Yeah, I can tell… is that a twig in your hair?”
Work-study
A program that enables students to work part-time while going to school
“You going out tonight?” “Can’t, I got work-study in the library.”
Here are 25 more words to learn before your first day of college.
A
AYCD
This acronym for “All You Can Drink” describes a party, club, venue or wherever you choose to drink, where you try to down as many of the provided drinks as you can. This encourages you to put your college tolerance level to the test so you can brag about it even when you put your glory days behind you.
“We should go to Alex’s house party instead of the club. It’s AYCD, so we can save a couple bucks on alcohol.”
B
Bet
A word for those who hate long replies, this term acts as a quick way to acknowledge that you understand something.
“I just got off a 12-hour shift, I’m going to shower and head over to your place to see what the move is tonight.”
“Bet.”
C
Chaser
Think of it as the liquid Band-Aid of parties, this lighter drink (typically juice, soda or beer) follows a harsher and more potent form of alcohol to soothe the annoying sting of straight liquor.
“That shot of Skol was rough—I need a chaser. Can I get a rum and Coke please?”
Cheat Day
Calories and carbs have no power here. This day encourages you to stuff yourself to your heart’s content and forget about the work you put in at the rec center yesterday. Typically used by gym nuts and bros, you can apply this term to anyone looking to justify their weird and unhealthy cravings.
“I’m going to go crazy on my cheat day. I’m talking a dozen wings, an extra-large pizza and a bucket of fries. I might gain five pounds by the end of it.”
Chill
Prime for those seeking to move out of the friend-zone and into a more serious or playful relationship, chilling refers to enjoying someone’s company in a low-stress or comfortable environment.
“Hey, what you up to?”
“Not much right now. You?”
“Same, I was hoping that maybe we could chill sometime this week.”
Clutch
Not to be confused with the small bag, this word references the rare and miraculous act of succeeding or helping out in a stressful or dangerous situation despite the odds not acting in your favor. Only use it at the last second.
“I was about to fail that class. Thank God that Jeremy came in clutch with those Spanish notes he lent me. They helped me ace that final.”
Cornhole
Present at almost all tailgates, this simple game involves tossing a small bean bag into a raised platform with various holes. While it may sound lame, this quaint tailgating exercise almost always turns into a great time.
“Hey Jake, you want to play some cornhole?”
“Sure, hold my beer while I beat this guy.”
Cover
The price of fun, this represents the amount of money required to enter a club, party, venue or establishment.
“Is there a cover for Jim’s s party tonight?”
“Yeah, I think it’s 10 bucks.”
“The club is only five. Maybe we should go there.”
D
DD (Designated Driver)
Also known as the unsung hero of the group, this savior holds the responsibility of ensuring safe transport to and from events. They cannot drink, and if they do, the procurement of the Uber or Lyft home falls on their shoulders. You can also refer to them as the Squad MVP.
“I can’t drink tonight because I’m going to the doctor tomorrow.”
“So can you be the DD tonight?”
“Sure, I got y’all.”
Dead
Dead refers to when the party or club doesn’t live up to the hype and instead reeks of lameness. Use it as an excuse to leave or go somewhere else. Another way of thinking about it: the exact opposite of “lit.”
“The club is dead. There was barely anyone in there and everyone was just standing around and talking. What a waste of money..”
Dope
Not to be confused with the drug, this term show that something lives up to your expectations in a way that causes you to reference 90’s slang.
“That Bruno Mars concert last night was pretty dope.”
Downs
The one who “has next” in games such as, cornhole, flip cup or, most notably, beer pong. Owners of this title can usually be seen staring down the game area in order to make sure no one takes their place in the queue.
“Hey man, are you almost finished with this game?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay then, me and my brother got downs.”
F
Feeling Yourself
When your self-confidence dial gets turned all the way up, you pass into feeling yourself territory. This can involve taking pictures of yourself, flexing in front of a mirror or just walking around campus with your head held high.
“I was really feeling myself when I looked in the mirror after I went to the gym. It made me want to finally ask out Jacob.”
G
Gains
A stand in for working out or exercising, this term represents the maximum effort put in and new muscle definition from pumping iron at the gym
“Are you free tonight?”
“Not tonight, I’m going to get some gains in at the gym.”
Ghosted
Intentionally not replying to someone else’s electronic messages due to forgetfulness, disinterest or laziness. This will rarely come as an effective means of letting someone know how you feel. Mark it by someone leaving you on “read.”
“Has Ron replied to you yet?”
“No, he’s ghosting me right now.”
L
Leg Day
The worst day at the gym where one focuses only on leg exercises and sacrifices their ability to walk straight in the process. You can use it as an excuse to stay seated or not move throughout the day.
“Hey, you want to go for a three mile run today.”
“Can’t, yesterday was leg day. I can barely stand.”
Lit
The principal and ultimate goal of any event, party or gathering, this term describes when an event goes hard on all levels. Everyone seems to have a good time, and you can feel the excitement holding you hostage since you never want to leave.
“Hey, should I we go to the club or my roommate’s house party?”
“My friend just texted me that the club is pretty lit right now.”
“The club it is.”
M
The Move
This refers to the collective agreement on a group’s evening or after dark plans.
“So what’s the move tonight?”
“I don’t know—I might just stay home. I don’t feel like going out.”
P
Playing Games
Toying with one’s emotions by either sending mixed messages in regards to how you feel about them or intentionally leading them on to think that their relationship means something more than they, or you, think.
“Stephanie is really playing games with me, man. She keeps inviting me over and then cancelling.”
“Maybe you should cut her loose or let her know how you really feel. She’s wasting your time.”
S
Slide Through
Walking into your friend’s home like you’ve lived there the whole time in order to hang out, make plans or get into something really stupid.
“I have a lot of statistics homework to do this weekend.”
“You can slide through my place if you need to. I’m going to be studying all weekend too.”
Solo Cups
A college necessity, these blue or red plastic cups exist as essential parts of most house parties as devices to either hold drinks or sit in formation on tables for beer pong.
“Let’s get a game of beer pong. We need more solo cups, though.”
Squad
The main ride-or-die crew with whom you go out, study or just hang with the most. To qualify as a squad, you’ll need at least three people.
“I’m going to rally the squad, and we’re going to find something to do tonight in the city.
Stacked
When the semester feels relentless, sleep evades you and different college stresses begin to pile up, this describes the struggle of trying to juggle it all in a way that allows you to graduate and keep your sanity at the same time.
“I wish I could go to PCB this weekend. But with work, school and marching band practice, I’m pretty stacked.”
Stunt
Feeling extra? This describes flaunting wealth to those with less by publicly spending a lot, wearing super stylish clothes or driving the nicest car. This doesn’t mean you need riches, just that you can momentarily show off a halfway decent paycheck for the night.
“I just got my paycheck yesterday, and I’m ready to stunt on everyone at the club tonight.”
T
Treat Yourself
When you feel like you’ve earned a reward and spend money or time on things that may have costly effects on your wallet or schedule, this word comes into play. You’ll usually find yourself doing this around your pay day if you work a job.
“It’s been a long week and I’m ready to treat myself to this extra-large pizza. Do I need it? No. Do I deserve it? Hell yeah!”
**Updated on August 10, 2018 by Chris Joseph include 25 more words that are so college.
