College Lingo 411In any language, slang reflects the experiences, beliefs, and values of its speakers. However, college slang does not contain terms for everything the student discusses. Items that are frequently encountered by college students or are very important to college life are often given slang symbols. There are many terms to say something is good or bad and to evaluate persons positively or negatively. College slang is also descriptive and contains many symbols for: food or eating, money, performance, relationships, intoxication, and college places. Slang is popular among college students mainly because it is cool. Cool, as in acceptable or interesting. When a college student uses slang, they are communicating not only their message, but their identity also. It gives a person a sense of belonging. Slang is a sign of the times. It is a method of distinguishing the different generations from each other. Slang of the 1940s college student is markedly different than that of the college student of the 1990s. Students refrain from using slang all the time. Slang is reserved only for circumstances and people that find it acceptable. Take Johnny for example. To a fellow college student, he might use an adjective like da bomb. However, when speaking to his mother, he would prefer to use great. Slang is usually not used to exclude people who don't understand it. It is reserved mainly for friends and close social peers. To use slang with mere acquaintances or strangers could result in disapproval and so is avoided.

Slang is usually reserved only for informal environments and is avoided in formal situations, such as a freshman English class. This could bring upon negative attention towards the student. Desire to avoid negative evaluation is high among college slang speakers. As one can see, college groups have a sociolect that is all their own. College slang differs far from the languages of any other group. It is used solely to express ideas among people of the same generation. A type of a secret code; it is understood only by those included in the college crowd. by mknsprxfly@aol.com