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A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves (e.g. They are first years).
In Ireland and Scotland, the term "first year" refers to the first years of either secondary school or university. In the case of university students, the term "fresher" is also used as in the United Kingdom.
The term first year is used within New Zealand universities, primarily to describe students in their first year of tertiary education direct from secondary school.
In the Portuguese Praxe, the whole of the student and academic traditions of Portuguese universities, a major part of it is the hazing of freshmen (in Portuguese, Caloiros). It is accompanied by a series of music festivals and partying.
There is an actual "Praxe Code" that describes the entire set of traditions, including the Freshman's rights. These include "The Freshman has NO rights" and "The Freshman is allowed to breathe occasionally".
The term first year is occasionally used in the British education system, and in schools it is no longer in official usage. In England and Wales a student's school career (not including pre-school nursery education) now begins with Reception, usually at the age of four, and continues up to either Year 11 or Year 13 depending on whether the student is going on to further education. However, in informal usage the term "first year" is still very common. In Northern Ireland and Scotland, the first year of compulsory education is Primary 1 (P1).
Before the introduction of the "Year [number]" system around the early 1990s, the first year or first form almost always referred to the first year of secondary education.
In Scotland, the first year of secondary school is known as S1 and also first year. In Northern Ireland the first year is known as either "Year 8", "Form 1", "First Form" or "First Year". In England, the first year is known as "Year 7". This continues to years 8 - 11 or 13 depending on whether the pupil is planning on higher education. Years 12 and 13 are known as Sixth Form.
In UK universities, new students are referred to as "freshers", but not "freshmen" or "freshwomen". They are, of course, first-years, but generally only called "fresher" early in the first year. At some universities (such as Cambridge) certain students may continue to be referred to as "freshers" until they have sat their first examination.
In some UK universities, the term "fresher" is considered derogatory, with some students' unions and universities encouraging the use of the term "first year" and rebranding events such as "Freshers' Week" as "Welcome Week"
In the United States, freshman, rather than being a slang term, is officially used by most high schools and universities.
Freshman is commonly in use as an US English idiomatic term to describe a beginner or novice, someone who is naive, a first effort, instance, or a student in the first year of study (generally referring to high school or university study).[1]
New members of Congress in their first term are referred to as freshmen senators or freshman congressman to suggest their lack of experience at their new position, no matter how experienced they were in previous government positions.
High School first year students are almost exclusively referred to as Freshmen, or in some cases by their grade year, 9th graders. Second year students are Sophomores, or 10th graders, then Juniors or 11th graders, and finally Seniors or 12th graders.
At College or University Freshman denotes students in their first year of study. The grade designations of high school are not used, but the terms Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors are kept at most schools. Some Women's colleges in the US do not use the term Freshman, but use the perceived gender neutral term: First Year, instead. Some liberal arts colleges do not use the terms Freshman, Sophomore, etc. at all, but rather stick to First Year, Second Year, Third Year, and Fourth Year designations.[2] Beyond the fourth year, students are simply classified as fifth years, sixth years, etc. Some institutions use the term freshman for specific reporting purposes.[3]
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