Alumnus, Alumnae, Alumni
These three words all refer to a person who has graduated from a particular college or university. Many alumni are so fond of their former schools that they donate money to it and continue to participate in its activities. 

Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral Degrees
The bachelor's degree is the most common undergraduate degree and is usually give after four years of higher education. A masters degree is a type of graduates degree, given after one to two years of additional study beyond the bachelors. A doctorate degree is given after three to five years of study beyond getting a master's.

Campus
The entire grounds of an institution make up its campus. This includes classrooms, facilities, dorms, and all of the other buildings that are on the grounds.

Courses, Classes, and Credit
Americans frequently use the word class to mean course. If you are asked what classes you are taking this semester, you should respond with a list of your courses. "Registering for classes" means choosing the courses you intend to take each semester. For each course you complete you will receive a number of credits (generally three or four). A typical four-year undergraduate degree requires 120 credits. Many universities offer noncredit courses for alumni and other interested members of the general public.

Faculty
Faculty are the teaching staff of the institution. These include the professors, associate and assistant professors, lecturers, and other instructors.

Grade-Point Average (GPA)
The grade you receive in each class is given to you by your professor in the form of a letter or a number. At the end of the semester you will receive the number of credits you've earned by completing the courses you enrolled in. Your credit hours are divided by your grades to determine your grade point average (GPA). GPAs provide a measure of how well you're doing against a four point scale.

Semester, Trimester, Quarter, Term
These are all periods of time into which the school year is divided. The most common division is two semesters (fall and spring). In the trimester system a winter term is added. In the quarter system a summer term is also added.

Transfer
When you begin your education at one school and then finish it at another that is because you've changed schools. Changing schools is generally called transferring from one institution to another.

Transcript
A transcript is a copy of your academic record which tells which courses you've taken and what grade you got in each class.