(idiomatic, chiefly, UK, and, Ireland) The real world as a source of instruction, as opposed to a formal education.
(idiomatic, chiefly, UK, and, Ireland) The real world as a source of instruction, as opposed to a formal education.
I learned all I need to know from the university of life, not from books.
"university of life" means the real world as a source of instruction, as opposed to a formal education. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"university of life" means the real world as a source of instruction, as opposed to a formal education. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
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(North America, informal) university.
(US, education, informal) A public university that has the academic quality or prestige of an Ivy League university.
(UK, education) An offer of a place at a particular university for a student, regardless of their performance in examinations, on the condition that they agree to choose that university over any other.
The informal, uncredentialed school of hard knocks or lived experience that teaches skills and wisdom no official institution covers — street smarts, cultural knowledge, or craft learned through osmosis within a community or scene.
"university of life" is informal English meaning the real world as a source of instruction, as opposed to a formal education. It is mainly heard in British English (and Irish English). A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "the real world as a source of instruction" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "university of life" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
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An informal North American clipping of 'university' — a shortened form used in casual conversation and informal writing. Common in speech but rarely written out in formal contexts. It functions identically to 'uni,' the British and Australian equivalent, though 'univ' is more distinctly North American. Both forms signal a casual, non-academic register when talking about higher education.