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A freshman is a first-year student in an educational institution. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves (e.g. They are first years).

ecent years, "first year" has gained popularity as a result of its more descriptive name and gender-neutral
Gender-neutral

The adjective gender-neutral may describe:*Gender-neutral job title*Gender-neutral language *Gender-neutral marriage*Gender-neutral pronoun...
 language. However, freshman is commonly in use as a US English idiom
Idiom

An idiom is a phrase whose meaning cannot be determined by the literal definition of the phrase itself, but refers instead to a figurative language meaning that is known only through common use....
atic term to describe a beginner or novice, someone who is naive, a first effort, instance, or a student in the first year of study (generally referring to high school
High school

High school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides all or part of secondary education. The term originated in Scotland and spread to the New World countries as the high prestige that the Scottish educational system had at the time led several countries to employ Scottish educators to develop the...
 or university study).






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A freshman is a first-year student in an educational institution. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves (e.g. They are first years).

United States

In recent years, "first year" has gained popularity as a result of its more descriptive name and gender-neutral
Gender-neutral

The adjective gender-neutral may describe:*Gender-neutral job title*Gender-neutral language *Gender-neutral marriage*Gender-neutral pronoun...
 language. However, freshman is commonly in use as a US English idiom
Idiom

An idiom is a phrase whose meaning cannot be determined by the literal definition of the phrase itself, but refers instead to a figurative language meaning that is known only through common use....
atic term to describe a beginner or novice, someone who is naive, a first effort, instance, or a student in the first year of study (generally referring to high school
High school

High school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides all or part of secondary education. The term originated in Scotland and spread to the New World countries as the high prestige that the Scottish educational system had at the time led several countries to employ Scottish educators to develop the...
 or university study). New members of Congress in their first term are referred to as freshman senators or freshman congressman to suggest their lack of experience at their new position, no matter how experienced they were in previous business or government positions.

United Kingdom

The term first year is commonly used in the British
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 education system, although in schools it is no longer in official usage. In England and Wales
England and Wales

England and Wales is a legal unit within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom....
 a student's school career (not including pre-school nursery education) now begins with Reception
Reception (school)

Reception or Primary 1 is the first year of primary school in the United Kingdom and South Australia. It is preceded by nursery school and is followed by Year One in England and Wales or Primary 2 in Northern Ireland and Scotland....
, usually at the age of four, and continues up to either Year 11 or Year 13
Sixth form

The sixth form , in the Education in England, Education in Wales and Education in Northern Ireland education systems, Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Belize, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and Malta is the final two years of secondary schooling when students are sixteen to eighteen years of age and normally prepare for...
 depending on whether the student is going on to higher education
Higher education

Higher education refers to a level of education that is provided by university, vocational university, community colleges, liberal arts colleges, Institute of technology and other collegiate level institutions, such as Vocational school, trade schools and career colleges, that award academic degrees or professional certifications....
. However, in informal usage the term "first year" is still very common. In Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
 and Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
, the first year of compulsory education is Primary 1 (P1).

Before the introduction of the "Year [number]" system around the early 1990s, the first year or first form almost always referred to the first year of secondary education
Secondary education

Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education is generally the final stage of compulsory education....
.

In Scotland, the first year of secondary school
Secondary school

Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education, takes place....
 is known as S1 and also first year. In Northern Ireland, the first year is known as either "Form 1", "First Form", "First Year" or "Year 8".

In UK universities, first-year students are also referred to as "freshers", although not "freshmen" or "freshwomen".