Universities often known as Higher Education Institutions/Providers in the UK, are educational institutions of higher learning and research. Universities have degree awarding power and grant academic degrees in a wide range of subjects at undergraduate, postgraduate, research and professional levels.

In simple term, colleges are intermediary educational institutions between high school and universities. In the UK, colleges provide tution to students over the age of 16 in particular subject or skills for qualifications that are not usually academic degrees but lead to degree courses at universities. Colleges provide a rich mix of academic and vocational education for international students starting from academic level 3. Students can follow access course, national diploma, higher national diploma, foundation degree courses at wide variety of subjects and progress onto degree courses at universities.

A sandwich degree is a 4 year undergraduate course in which students study 3 years at universities and undertake a placement or internship for 1 year in the industry. The work-placement/internship year is taken in between the study (normally after the 2nd year of study). Since either side of the work-placement/internship is study period (replica of sandwich: 2 year study+1 year internship+1 year study), the degree is called sandwich degree.

A term is a portion of a year and usually there are 3 terms in an academic year e.g. autumn, spring and summer. Each term is about 3 months long and separated by holidays. A term may or may not include the assessment period.

Term-time is the time when universities/colleges are open to hold classes for continuous period.

A semester describe two six-monthly periods that divide the academic year into two halves - it includes term-times, holidays and examination periods. Most of the universities/colleges have 2 semesters in a calendar year and accommodate 3 terms in one academic year. However, some universities and colleges are conducting 3 semesters in a year.

An academic year is normally 9 months (3 terms) usually calculated from the beginning of the autumn term (early September) to the end of the summer term (late July). In the UK, educational institutions usually hold classes for 30-32 weeks in one academic year.