Jargon
Although the American and Canadian educational systems are similar in many respects, there are notable differences that can confuse people pretty thoroughly. Here’s a list of Canadian educational terms, followed by their American equivalents:
Grade x (“She’s in grade three”)
xth grade
Write a test
Take a test
Marks
Grades. In Canada, teachers mark students’ work instead of grading it, and take “marks off” if the students give wrong answers.
Essay
Paper
Public school
Elementary school
Supply teacher
Substitute teacher
Separate school
Catholic school, parochial school
College
Community college or technical school
University
Four-year, degree-granting college or university
At university
In college
Residence (“He lives in residence”)
Dormitory (“He lives in the dorms”)
OAC, grade 13
An extra year of high school after grade 12, intended for students going on to university (not college). Only in Ontario, and they’re phasing it out. (Some joke that because the former Ontario Minister of Education, John Snobelen, dropped out of high school in grade 11, he got rid of OAC to get that much closer to having a high school diploma.)
CEGEP (pronounced SAY-zhep)
In Québec, a post-high school college offering two-year pre-university programs and three-year professional development programs. CEGEP stands for Collège d’enseignement général et professionel. There are a few English-language CEGEPs and many French-language ones. (Thanks to a visitor for this one.)
Bursary
A tuition grant, given to students in need (in the US, at least at the school where I went, the bursary was the office where you went to pay your tuition bills)
Coles Notes
Analogous to Cliff Notes; Coles is a national chain of bookstores. A friend tells me that Coles Notes celebrated their 50th anniversary in 1998, and the press coverage noted that the original Cliff Notes were licenced versions of Coles Notes.
skipping out
cutting class
minor niner
Ontario term for person in grade 9. In Ontario, high schools currently range from grades 9 to 13. Someone in grade 9 is indeed a minor niner.
On course (often used among business people to explain why they’re not in the office: “You’ve reached Jane Doe of All-Canada Enterprises. I’m on course this week, but will be checking for messages…”)
In class
Canadians don’t use the terms “freshman,” “sophomore,” “junior,” or “senior,” for high school or college students. What Americans would call “juniors in high school” are “grade elevens.” University students are referred to according to what year they’re in: an American junior would be a third-year in Canada.
Prominent universities
The university’s city is listed if the university’s name doesn’t make it clear where the school is. A more complete list is available from the University of Waterloo.
Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s
Nova Scotia
Acadia University, Wolfville
Dalhousie University, Halifax
Saint Mary’s University, Halifax
St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish
New Brunswick
Mount Allison University, Sackville
University of New Brunswick, Fredericton and Saint John
Université de Moncton
Prince Edward Island
University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown
Québec
Bishop’s University, Lennoxville
Concordia University, Montréal
McGill University, Montréal
Université du Québec à Montréal
Université de Montréal
École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal
Université Laval, Québec
Ontario
Université d’Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Carleton University, Ottawa
Queen’s University, Kingston
Royal Military College, Kingston
Trent University, Peterborough
University of Toronto
York University, Toronto
Ryerson Polytechnic University, Toronto
University of Guelph
McMaster University, Hamilton
University of Waterloo
Wilfrid Laurier University
Brock University, St. Catharines
University of Western Ontario, London
University of Windsor
Manitoba
Brandon University, Brandon
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg
University of Winnipeg
Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon
University of Regina
Alberta
University of Alberta, Edmonton
University of Calgary
University of Lethbridge
British Columbia
University of British Columbia, Vancouver
Simon Fraser University, Vancouver
University of Victoria
University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George