The following vocabulary is useful for understanding and discussing types of student.

School behaviour / character types / types of student

• to play truant – to be absent from class without permission from parents or teachers
• a bookworm – an informal word for someone who spends a lot time reading / studying
• an academic – someone who is more comfortable with studying and writing rather than working with their hands in a more practical application
• a scholar – a relatively old fashioned word for an academic
• a mature student – someone who is older than the average student, often having gone back to college or universities after working or having a family
• a freshman [US English] – someone in their first year of university or college
• a sophomore – someone in their second year of university or college
• an undergraduate – someone who has not yet completed their degree
• a graduate (also referred to as a postgraduate) – someone who has complete degree