university of life

"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" 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.