We all wonder about the right way to say or write something from time to time.
Here you can find all the answers to every time you wonder, “how do you say…?” about something related to college.
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A or an
People should say/write “a” when it is before words that begin with a consonant and “an” before a word that begins with a vowel.
An engineering student or a engineering student
The correct one is “an engineering student”.
You use an before words that begin with a vowel and a before words that begin with a consonant.
Abbreviations
Let’s look at some common abbreviations.
In general, the rule is that if the abbreviation is capitalized, then there are no periods.
AP courses or A.P. courses
Advanced Placement courses are referred to as AP courses.
PE or P.E.
Physical education classes should be abbreviated as PE classes.
Classes—should you capitalize classes?
Capitalize classes when you are talking about a specific class because it is then a proper noun—such as Math 208. Do not capitalize a class when you are talking about a generic subject, such as math or biology.
Is history supposed to be capitalized?
History should not be capitalized unless it is the start of a sentence or a proper noun (such as talking about a specific course or museum).
Degrees
Let’s look at some questions about associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and master’s degrees.
Associate degree
There are a lot of questions about how you say or spell an associate degree.
Associate or associate’s degree
Most people or organizations would accept either “associate degree” or “associate’s degree”—however, some consider only “associate degree” to be the correct form.
Use associate degree (no apostrophe and s) to be sure that you are in using the correct form.
Should associate degree be capitalized?
People should not capitalize “associate degree” when it is talked about generally. If you are talking about a specific degree, such as an Associate of Science (AS), then it should be capitalized.
Bachelor’s degree
Let’s look at some of the questions around how to say and write a bachelor’s degree.
Is it bachelor or bachelor’s degree?
The correct form is bachelor’s degree, not bachelor degree. However, if you are talking about a specific degree, such as a Bachelor of Arts, then bachelor should be capitalized.
Should bachelor’s degree be capitalized?
You should not capitalize a bachelor’s degree when it is being used as a common noun, but you should capitalize it when it is a proper noun (you are referring to a specific degree by its full name), such as a Bachelor of Science.
Master’s degree
Let’s look at the questions surrounding a master’s degree.
Masters or master’s degree
It is master’s degree, not masters degree. If you are talking about a specific degree, such as a Master of Art, then masters should be capitalized.
Should master’s degree be capitalized?
Master’s degree should be capitalized if it is the beginning of a sentence, in a title, or you are referring to a specific degree such as Master of Science.
Should grade point average be capitalized?
Grade point average should not be capitalized, but GPA should always be capitalized.
Honors
Let’s look at the capitalization rules for honors.
Should summa cum laude be capitalized?
Summa cum laude should not be capitalized. If it is at the beginning of a sentence, summa should be the only word capitalized.
Should magna cum laude be capitalized?
Magna cum laude should not be capitalized unless it is at the begging of a sentence (then only manga is capitalized).
Should cum laude be capitalized?
Cum laude should not be capitalized and should follow the same capitalization rules as other words.
Hyphens
A hyphen is used to show that two words are used together as a single concept.
Let’s look at words that are often asked if they are hyphenated.
Note making or note-making
How do you write note-making? Note-making and note-taking are common words to be unsure how to write.
Technically, the proper way to spell it would be note-making. However, note making or notemaking would be acceptable.
Learn more about what note-making is.
Note taking or note-taking
The proper way to spell it is note-taking.
However, note taking or notetaking will also be acceptable.
Learn more about effective note-taking.
Test taking or test-taking
Test-taking should be hyphenated because it shows one action of taking a test.
In or On
Let’s look at when you use in and when you use on.
In fall semester or on fall semester
When it comes to saying in or on fall semester, the correct way would be to say that you are “in fall semester.” However, normally you would say in the fall semester or during the fall semester.
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In spring semester or on spring semester
The correct way to say it would be that you are “in spring semester.” However, normally you would say in the spring semester or during the spring semester.
See you in Zoom or on Zoom
The correct way to say it is “see you on Zoom.” But people will understand you either way, and no one will think you are saying it incorrectly, no matter which way you say it.
Majors—should majors be capitalized?
Majors should only be capitalized if they are proper nouns, such as languages. Therefore, you would say I majored in French, or I majored in biology.
Waitlist or wait list
When you are talking about the noun waitlist, then it is one word—I am on the waitlist.
If you want to know how to say anything else, leave a comment down below, and I will add it to the list.
