University life vocabulary in Spanish, covering subjects, classes, campus, student roles, and common activities to help you navigate college conversations.
University life introduces a wide range of vocabulary related to academic subjects, campus locations, student roles, and everyday activities. This guide covers some of the most common terms you’ll encounter in a Spanish-speaking college environment, from attending classes to navigating the campus. These words will help you participate in conversations, understand announcements, and describe your university experience confidently.
Academic Subjects
These are common university subjects you might study in Spanish. Each includes the singular and plural form, along with an example sentence.
| Spanish Singular (Plural) | English Singular (Plural) | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| la biología (las biologías) | biology | Estudio biología en la universidad. | I study biology at the university. |
| la literatura (las literaturas) | literature | Me gusta la literatura española. | I like Spanish literature. |
| las matemáticas | mathematics | Las matemáticas son difíciles para mí. | Math is difficult for me. |
| la historia (las historias) | history | Tengo una clase de historia mundial. | I have a world history class. |
| la química (las químicas) | chemistry | La química requiere muchos experimentos. | Chemistry requires many experiments. |
| la física (las físicas) | physics | La física explica cómo funciona el universo. | Physics explains how the universe works. |
| la psicología (las psicologías) | psychology | Estudio psicología en mi segundo año. | I’m studying psychology in my second year. |
| la economía (las economías) | economics | La economía influye en los mercados globales. | Economics influences global markets. |
| la filosofía (las filosofías) | philosophy | La filosofía cuestiona la realidad y el conocimiento. | Philosophy questions reality and knowledge. |
| la sociología (las sociologías) | sociology | La sociología estudia el comportamiento social. | Sociology studies social behavior. |
___ biología en la universidad.
How do you say 'I study biology at the university' in Spanish?
Estudio
'Estudio' is the first-person singular form of 'estudiar,' meaning 'I study.' The others are different subjects or tenses.
___ son difíciles para mí.
What is the Spanish word for 'mathematics'?
Las matemáticas
The correct answer is 'Las matemáticas,' which means mathematics. The others are chemistry, philosophy, and literature.
Campus Locations
These are common places you’ll find on a university campus in Spanish, useful for asking for directions or describing where you are.
| Spanish Singular (Plural) | English Singular (Plural) | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| la biblioteca (las bibliotecas) | library (libraries) | Voy a la biblioteca a estudiar. | I’m going to the library to study. |
| el aula (las aulas) | classroom (classrooms) | Nuestra clase es en el aula 203. | Our class is in classroom 203. |
| el laboratorio (los laboratorios) | laboratory (laboratories) | El laboratorio de química está ocupado. | The chemistry lab is busy. |
| la cafetería (las cafeterías) | cafeteria (cafeterias) | Almorzamos en la cafetería del campus. | We have lunch in the campus cafeteria. |
| la oficina (las oficinas) | office (offices) | Fui a la oficina de registro a inscribirme. | I went to the registration office to sign up. |
| el auditorio (los auditorios) | auditorium (auditoriums) | El auditorio tiene capacidad para 500 personas. | The auditorium seats 500 people. |
| el gimnasio (los gimnasios) | gym (gyms) | Después de clase, voy al gimnasio. | After class, I go to the gym. |
| el pasillo (los pasillos) | hallway (hallways) | Espera en el pasillo antes de entrar. | Wait in the hallway before entering. |
| el campus | campus | El campus es muy grande y tiene muchos edificios. | The campus is very large and has many buildings. |
| el comedor (los comedores) | dining hall (dining halls) | El comedor universitario abre a las 12. | The university dining hall opens at 12. |
Student Roles
These are common roles and people you’ll meet at university, along with how to say “I am a student” or “I am a professor” in Spanish.
| Spanish Singular (Plural) | English Singular (Plural) | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| el estudiante / la estudiante (los estudiantes / las estudiantes) | student (students) | Soy estudiante de ingeniería. | I am an engineering student. |
| el profesor / la profesora (los profesores / las profesoras) | professor (professors) | La profesora es muy amable. | The professor is very kind. |
| el alumno / la alumna (los alumnos / las alumnas) | pupil / student (students) | Los alumnos deben entregar la tarea. | The students must submit the homework. |
| el decano / la decana (los decanos / las decanas) | dean (deans) | El decano habló en la inauguración. | The dean spoke at the inauguration. |
| el tutor / la tutora (los tutores / las tutoras) | tutor (tutors) | Mi tutora me ayudó con el proyecto. | My tutor helped me with the project. |
| el bibliotecario / la bibliotecaria (los bibliotecarios / las bibliotecarias) | librarian (librarians) | La bibliotecaria recomendó un libro interesante. | The librarian recommended an interesting book. |
| el becario / la becaria (los becarios / las becarias) | scholarship student / intern | Soy becario en el departamento de historia. | I’m a scholarship student in the history department. |
| el representante estudiantil / la representante estudiantil (los representantes / las representantes) | student representative (representatives) | La representante estudiantil organizó una reunión. | The student representative organized a meeting. |
| el secretario / la secretaria (los secretarios / las secretarias) | secretary (secretaries) | La secretaria asigna las horas de consulta. | The secretary schedules office hours. |
| el auxiliar (la auxiliar) (los auxiliares) | teaching assistant | El auxiliar explicó el ejercicio en clase. | The teaching assistant explained the exercise in class. |
Common Activities
These are typical activities and tasks university students do in Spanish, helpful for talking about your daily routine or responsibilities.
| Spanish Singular | English Singular | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| estudiar | to study | Estudio tres horas todos los días. | I study three hours every day. |
| asistir a clase | to attend class | Asisto a clase de lunes a viernes. | I attend class from Monday to Friday. |
| hacer la tarea | to do homework | Tengo que hacer la tarea de matemáticas. | I have to do math homework. |
| tomar apuntes | to take notes | Tomo apuntes para no olvidar nada. | I take notes so I don’t forget anything. |
| presentar un examen | to take an exam | Mañana presento un examen de historia. | Tomorrow I’m taking a history exam. |
| entregar un trabajo | to submit an assignment | Entregué el trabajo antes de la fecha límite. | I submitted the assignment before the deadline. |
| participar | to participate | Participé en un debate sobre medio ambiente. | I participated in a debate about the environment. |
| buscar información | to look for information | Busco información en Internet y en libros. | I look for information online and in books. |
| colaborar | to collaborate | Colaboramos en un proyecto grupal. | We collaborated on a group project. |
| inscribirse | to enroll/register | Me inscribí en un curso de psicología. | I enrolled in a psychology course. |
University Events
These are common events and occasions that take place at universities, useful for understanding announcements or invitations.
| Spanish Singular (Plural) | English Singular (Plural) | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| la conferencia (las conferencias) | lecture/conference (lectures/conferences) | Asistí a una conferencia sobre biotecnología. | I attended a lecture on biotechnology. |
| el seminario (los seminarios) | seminar (seminars) | El seminario fue muy interactivo. | The seminar was very interactive. |
| el taller (los talleres) | workshop (workshops) | Participé en un taller de escritura académica. | I participated in an academic writing workshop. |
| la reunión (las reuniones) | meeting (meetings) | Hubo una reunión del grupo estudiantil. | There was a student group meeting. |
| la feria de empleo | job fair | La feria de empleo será la próxima semana. | The job fair will be next week. |
| la graduación | graduation | La graduación es en diciembre. | Graduation is in December. |
| el acto académico | academic ceremony | Asistimos al acto académico en el auditorio. | We attended the academic ceremony in the auditorium. |
| la jornada (las jornadas) | day/session (days/sessions) | Hay una jornada sobre innovación educativa. | There is a session on educational innovation. |
| la inscripción | registration | La inscripción para el semestre cierra el viernes. | Registration for the semester closes on Friday. |
| el intercambio | exchange program | Participé en un intercambio en España. | I took part in an exchange program in Spain. |
Academic Materials
These are common materials and tools students use for studying, writing, and completing assignments in Spanish.
| Spanish Singular (Plural) | English Singular (Plural) | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| el cuaderno (los cuadernos) | notebook (notebooks) | Escribo mis apuntes en un cuaderno. | I write my notes in a notebook. |
| el libro (los libros) | book (books) | Presté un libro de filosofía. | I borrowed a philosophy book. |
| el bolígrafo (los bolígrafos) | pen (pens) | Necesito un bolígrafo azul. | I need a blue pen. |
| el lápiz (los lápices) | pencil (pencils) | Corrijo con lápiz antes de pasar a limpio. | I correct with pencil before making a final copy. |
| la regla (las reglas) | ruler (rulers) | Uso la regla para hacer líneas rectas. | I use the ruler to draw straight lines. |
| el resaltador (los resaltadores) | highlighter (highlighters) | Marco los conceptos importantes con resaltador. | I highlight important concepts. |
| la carpeta (las carpetas) | folder (folders) | Guardo los documentos en una carpeta. | I keep the documents in a folder. |
| el ordenador / la computadora (los ordenadores / las computadoras) | computer (computers) | Escribí el ensayo en la computadora. | I wrote the essay on the computer. |
| el diccionario (los diccionarios) | dictionary (dictionaries) | Consulto el diccionario cuando no entiendo una palabra. | I check the dictionary when I don’t understand a word. |
| el proyecto (los proyectos) | project (projects) | El proyecto final es grupal. | The final project is a group assignment. |
Study Habits
These are common phrases describing how students organize their study time and prepare for exams, along with a supportive tip for building good habits.
| Spanish Singular | English Singular | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| repasar | to review | Repaso mis apuntes antes del examen. | I review my notes before the exam. |
| organizarse | to organize oneself | Me organizo con una agenda semanal. | I organize myself with a weekly planner. |
| concentrarse | to concentrate | Me cuesta concentrarme con ruido. | It’s hard for me to concentrate with noise. |
| descansar | to rest | Es importante descansar entre sesiones de estudio. | It’s important to rest between study sessions. |
| programar | to schedule | Programo tiempo para estudiar cada día. | I schedule time to study every day. |
| subrayar | to underline/highlight | Subrayo las ideas principales en el texto. | I highlight the main ideas in the text. |
| evitar distracciones | to avoid distractions | Apago el teléfono para evitar distracciones. | I turn off my phone to avoid distractions. |
| hacer resúmenes | to make summaries | Hago resúmenes para estudiar más rápido. | I make summaries to study faster. |
| practicar | to practice | Practico con ejercicios de gramática. | I practice with grammar exercises. |
| formar grupos de estudio | to form study groups | Formamos grupos de estudio los fines de semana. | We form study groups on weekends. |
This completes the university life vocabulary guide. If you want to explore more topics, just ask!
What does 'repasar' mean in the context of studying?
to review
'Repasar' means to review, especially before an exam. It does not mean memorize, study, or write.
Flashcards (1 of 70)
- English Singular (Plural): biology
- English Example: I study biology at the university.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
