A
Academic Titles - Professor/Reader/Senior Lecturer/Lecturer
These are the different names given to academics with Professor being the most senior and Lecturer the most junior. Many of the staff teaching you will have PhDs/doctorates. Both are the highest academic qualifications; a PhD is achieved by research and a doctorate combines research and professional practice. Someone with a PhD/ doctorate can use the title Doctor (Dr).
C
Campus
The grounds or buildings of a university. Royal Holloway is a campus based university and this means university student accommodation, teaching and administrative building are close to each other in the same grounds. Royal Holloway has 2 campuses: one in Egham and in in Central London
Campus Connect
This is an important portal through which you can pay your fees, change your personal details, access your unique candidate number and perform a number of other tasks.
Course
Your degree programme, e.g. BA Geography.
D
D&N
The Disability and Neurodiversity Team and part of the larger Wellbeing team. They are all here to support you with your health, wellbeing and experience.
E
EWD or Davison Building
The Emily Wilding Davison Building houses the Library, Student Services Centre, the Archives, Careers and Volunteering. It’s commonly known as Davison, the EWD or the Library. Emily Wilding Davison was a suffragette and is an alumna of Royal Holloway.
F
Founder's
This is the main building on the Egham campus and is home to some undergraduate students, the Picture Gallery and the Chapel. It also has a Reading Room for quiet study as well as office space for staff members.
L
Lab classes
Labs are usually associated with Science subjects and are sessions where students will build on the material from a lecture by applying it to practical experiments. A student may have a number of labs weekly depending on the subject and modules studied.
Lecture
A timetabled class during which an academic lecturer or visiting speaker presents information about a particular topic. Typically, a lecturer will only introduce the main ideas during lectures; students are expected to do further reading and study around the topic outside of the lecture.
M
Module
A unit of teaching and learning done on a course. Each module has a code (e.g. EN1570) which shows the department (EN is English) and year of study (1xxx is for first year undergraduate).
A typical module lasts one term, includes a weekly lecture and seminar, and includes two assessments. However, this will vary depending on the module and the course.
Moodle
Royal Holloway’s virtual learning environment where you will find information about each of the modules you will take. Once you have received your Royal Holloway username and password, you will be able to access this.
P
Principal/Vice Chancellor
The most senior member of staff, who leads Royal Holloway and is responsible for the strategic development and running of the University. Her name is Professor Julie Sanders.
R
Reading list
A list of resources which has been put together by those teaching you on a particular module. The resources are designed to help you to develop your knowledge of the core principles, theories and ideas that you will be studying as well as giving you the opportunity to explore different areas in greater detail. You will have a reading list for each module you take.
Reading/Study Week
The Autumn and Spring Terms each have 10 weeks of teaching and many departments have a Reading/Study Week after the first 5 weeks of teaching. The week is there for students to catch up on reading and study but no one will ask you to account for how you have spent your time during that week. Check with your department(s) when you start your course to see if they have a Reading/Study week and when it will take place.
Referencing
This is what you do when you acknowledge that the information or view point you provide in a piece of text is from an external source (i.e. not your own idea). There are set rules on how to reference and cite sources, and disciplines have their preferred referencing styles (Harvard, APA, MHRA, MLA, OSCOLA...). Your department will tell you which one to use.
RoHo/Holloway/RH/RHUL
Names for Royal Holloway.
S
Seminar
A timetabled class during which students discuss a particular topic with other students and their teacher. The discussion is often based on a particular reading which students have done.
SSC
The Student Services Centre, which is located in the EWD. For information about the services offered in the SSC and how they will help you during your first few weeks at Royal Holloway, please click here.
Student Handbook
This is an important source of information which you will need to refer to during your time at Royal Holloway for information about your department, degree course, assessments and how you will be marked and student regulations.
Student ID Card
This is your personal Royal Holloway identity card. It will have your photo, your student number and show whether you are an undergraduate or postgraduate. You will receive it shortly after arriving at Royal Holloway.
Student Intranet
A central source of information for all students. The intranet is where important messages may be posted as well as e-mailed to you so do check it regularly.
SU/RHSU
The Students’ Union
W
Welcome Week/Freshers Festival
The first week of the new academic year is Welcome Week and one of the main events which takes place during it is Freshers Fair when you will have the opportunity to find out about all the activities you can do when you are not studying.
Workshop
A timetabled class during which students participate in activities relevant to a particular topic. Activities might include trying something in practice, solving a problem or applying a theory to a real life event or issue.