Why do Americans go to "college" and others go to "university"?

[mithrandir2001]

I went to Penn State and I "went to college"; I didn't go to university, though Penn State is a university and not a college.

 

[oblizue]

i'm pretty sure college is just bachelors degree and university also has masters and phd

 

[diskop]

Cause we go to the theater instead of the theatre, eat tomatos instead of tomatos, and have teeth instead of gums.

 

[InverseOfNeo]

Because Americans are stupid and university sounds too intellectual for them.

Note: I am American and I love my country. Obviously not all Americans are stupid but most are.

 

[aphex]

I use both 'college' and 'university' to describe my school.

 

[MacBaine]

Originally posted by: InverseOfNeo
Because Americans are stupid and university sounds too intellectual for them.

Note: I am American and I love my country. Obviously not all Americans are stupid but most are.

Those who didn't go to college, right?

 

[Whitecloak]

Originally posted by: aphexII
I use both 'college' and 'university' to describe my school.

but I never use school to describe my college or university.

 

[SHoddyCOmp]

Because not all colleges are universities? Its more universal..

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: whitecloak

Originally posted by: aphexII
I use both 'college' and 'university' to describe my school.

but I never use school to describe my college or university.

Hummmanahummana.

 

[Whitecloak]

Originally posted by: aphexII

Originally posted by: whitecloak

Originally posted by: aphexII
I use both 'college' and 'university' to describe my school.

but I never use school to describe my college or university.

Hummmanahummana.

errr, I didnt get it :Q

 

[rgwalt]

Want to know the real reason? Its because of the "COLLEGE" sweatshirt worn by John Balushi in Animal House.

Just watched that tonight in fact...

Ryan

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: whitecloak

Originally posted by: aphexII

Originally posted by: whitecloak

Originally posted by: aphexII
I use both 'college' and 'university' to describe my school.

but I never use school to describe my college or university.

Hummmanahummana.

errr, I didnt get it :Q

neither do/did i

 

[mithrandir2001]

I'm talking about the vernacular, not the difference between a college and a university. Canadians, in particular, will say "I'm going back to university" regardless of the size of their school, whereas Americans will always say "I'm going back to college" even if they are returning to a large state university.

 

[neomits]

I go to the Ohio State University and am in the College of Business

 

[IcemanJer]

Originally posted by: rgwalt
Want to know the real reason? Its because of the "COLLEGE" sweatshirt worn by John Balushi in Animal House.

Just watched that tonight in fact...

Ryan

No, that's just Dartmouth (mine).

 

[pyonir]

why do different people say pop, soda, or coke. they just do.

 

[Sealy]

Being a Canadian, I say both. For example I went to "Douglas College" which is what it is, but we also have University of British Columbia(UBC) and Simon Fraser University(SFU).

 

[IcemanJer]

American:
college - one school, usually consists of "departments", instead of "faculty", ie. department of english, department of economics.. etc. All undergraduate schools are colleges.
university - many colleges together, consisting of (for example) faculty of chemistry, faculty of medicine, faculty of engineering.. etc. Graduate schools.

Canadian:
college - usually only refer to community colleges.
university - all the major schools, including graduate and undergraduate. I don't think in Canada there are small undergrade schools like Smith or Amherst or Wesley or Swarthmore.

 

[Amused]

Because we talk gooder than you.

 

[luv2chill]

Let's call the whole thing off...

l2c

 

[kt]

I went to college at University of California, Irvine and graduated from the school of engineering.

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: mithrandir2001
I'm talking about the vernacular, not the difference between a college and a university. Canadians, in particular, will say "I'm going back to university" regardless of the size of their school, whereas Americans will always say "I'm going back to college" even if they are returning to a large state university.

I have noticed this also. International students will often say "I'm going back to Uni", which is something Americans don't usually say.

 

[Alphathree33]

Originally posted by: kt
I went to college at University of California, Irvine and graduated from the school of engineering.

Try I went to the University of California and graduated from the faculty of engineering.

 

[ToBeMe]

Originally posted by: InverseOfNeo
Because Americans are stupid and university sounds too intellectual for them.

Note: I am American and I love my country. Obviously not all Americans are stupid but most are.

Wow.........for someone whom sees himself as not among the "stupid" apparently, you sure did cover some ground with that statement. So what you're saying is, most citizens from Alaska/Canada Southward to the tip of South America are stupid?:Q Quite a statement now isn't that?

 

[cavingjan]

Originally posted by: Astaroth33

Originally posted by: mithrandir2001
I'm talking about the vernacular, not the difference between a college and a university. Canadians, in particular, will say "I'm going back to university" regardless of the size of their school, whereas Americans will always say "I'm going back to college" even if they are returning to a large state university.

I have noticed this also. International students will often say "I'm going back to Uni", which is something Americans don't usually say.

The real reason I suspect is something similar to what Astaroth has hinted at:
its quicker to say.
College - 2 syllables
University - 5 syllables
Uni - back to 2 but why abreviate.