Academic calendar
Fall Semester 2026 runs Aug 31, 2026 – Dec 21, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Summer 2026 Sessions II and II-C
- Summer 2026 Sessions II and II-D
- Summer 2026 Session II-D
- Fall Semester 2026Relevant now
- Fall 2026 12-Week Term
- Winter 2026-2027 12-Week Term
- Winter Term 2027
- Spring Semester 2027
- Spring 2027 12-Week Term
- Summer 2027 Sessions I and I-A
- Summer 2027 Sessions I and I-B
- Summer 2027 12-Week Term
- Summer 2027 Session I-B
- Summer 2027 Sessions II and II-C
- Summer 2027 Sessions II and II-D
- Summer 2027 Session II-D
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 61 of 61 terms
2
- 251
- 251 North, a dining hall located in the Denton Community known for its all-you-care-to-eat buffet service.
A
- Anytime Dining
- The UMD meal plan system that allows students unlimited entries to the three main dining halls.
C
- Commons
- South Campus Commons, a suite-style apartment complex for upperclassmen located on the south side of campus.
- Courtyards
- The University Courtyards, an apartment-style housing complex located on the northern edge of campus.
- CP
- Common abbreviation for College Park, the city where the university is situated.
- Cumbie
- Cumberland Hall, a high-rise residence hall in the Ellicott Community.
D
- DBK
- The Diamondback, the university's independent student-run newspaper.
- DFSL
- Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life, overseeing Greek life on campus.
- Dining Dollars
- The currency loaded onto student IDs used for purchasing food at convenience stores and brand-name vendors like Chick-fil-A.
- DOTS
- Department of Transportation Services, the office that manages campus parking, bike programs, and the Shuttle-UM bus system.
F
- Fear the Turtle
- The university's official athletic slogan and rallying cry.
H
- H-town
- Hagerstown Hall, a dormitory located in the North Campus Ellicott Community.
J
- JW
- Johnson-Whittle Hall, one of the newest residence halls located in the Heritage Community.
L
- L-P
- La Plata Hall, a prominent high-rise dormitory located in the Ellicott Community.
- LaPlata Beach
- The large grassy field in front of LaPlata Hall used for outdoor recreation and sunbathing.
- LPP
- La Plata Hall, a prominent high-rise residence hall in the Ellicott Community.
M
- M-Circle
- The large 'M' shaped flower bed at the campus entrance, a popular spot for graduation photos.
N
- New Leonardtown
- The newer section of the Leonardtown apartment community.
- North Capital
- The residential area comprising the Denton, Ellicott, and Cambridge communities on the northern side of campus.
O
- Oakland
- Oakland Hall, a high-rise suite-style dorm located on the north end of campus.
- Offerings
- Items (food, drinks, or random objects) left at the feet of the Testudo statue for good luck during exams.
- Old Leonardtown
- The older section of the Leonardtown apartment community.
- Old Town
- The residential neighborhood adjacent to campus where many upperclassmen live in off-campus houses.
- Old Town
- The neighborhood of private houses adjacent to campus where many upperclassmen live.
- OMSE
- Office of Multi-ethnic Student Education, providing academic support and programs for underrepresented students.
P
- P-Fred
- Prince Frederick Hall, a popular honors-college dorm on South Campus.
- Pyon-Chen
- Pyon-Chen Hall, a modern residence hall named after the university's first Asian and first Black graduates.
R
- RecWell
- University Recreation & Wellness, the department managing gyms, intramural sports, and the Eppley Recreation Center.
- RHA
- Residence Hall Association, the organization that represents and advocates for students living in on-campus housing.
- Route 1
- Baltimore Avenue, the main commercial road bordering campus that contains the majority of local bars and restaurants.
- Rub the nose
- The tradition of rubbing the nose of the Testudo statue for good luck during finals.
S
- SCC
- South Campus Commons, the university-affiliated apartment complex on the south side of campus.
- SEE
- Student Entertainment Events, the student-run board responsible for organizing major campus concerts, movies, and lectures.
- SGA
- Student Government Association, the official representative body for the undergraduate student population.
- South
- South Campus Dining Hall, the main dining facility for students living on the south side of campus.
- South Campus
- The South Campus Dining Hall, the main dining facility for students living on the south side of campus.
- South Hill
- A collection of smaller, older residence halls located on the southern side of campus near the business school.
- South Point
- The South Mountain Dining Hall, the main dining facility for students living on South Campus.
- Stamp
- The food court and various brand-name eateries located within the Adele H. Stamp Student Union.
- Stamp Food Court
- The collection of fast-food vendors located inside the Adele H. Stamp Student Union.
T
- Terp
- Short for Terrapin, the official nickname for a University of Maryland student, alumnus, or athlete.
- Terp Bucks
- An older or colloquial term sometimes used interchangeably with Dining Dollars or Resident Account funds.
- Terp Main Street
- The collection of shops and eateries located on the ground floor of the Stamp Student Union.
- Terp Zone
- The entertainment center in Stamp that includes a snack bar and bowling alley.
- Terps
- Short for Terrapins, the nickname for all UMD students and athletic teams.
- Terrapin Express
- A pre-paid debit account on the student ID card used for various campus services.
- Testudo
- The diamondback terrapin mascot; specifically refers to the bronze statues that students rub for good luck during exams.
- The Commons
- South Campus Commons, a series of university-affiliated apartment buildings.
- The Courtyards
- The Courtyards at Maryland, an apartment-style housing complex located on the northern edge of campus.
- The Diner
- Ellicott Dining Hall, the primary dining facility for students living in the North Campus communities.
- The Graham Cracker
- A nickname for the South Hill community buildings, specifically those arranged in a rectangular shape resembling the snack.
- The Heritage Community
- The newest residential area on campus, consisting of Pyon-Chen and Johnson-Whittle Halls.
- The High Rises
- The group of tall dormitory buildings in the North Campus Ellicott Community, specifically Ellicott, Hagerstown, and La Plata halls.
- The M
- The large 'M' shaped flowerbed located at the main campus entrance, a popular photo spot.
- The Mall
- McKeldin Mall, the large central quadrangle on campus used for recreation, studying, and major events.
- The Quad
- The Cambridge Community area, consisting of Bel Air, Cambridge, Centerville, and Chestertown halls.
- The Varsity
- The Varsity, a major off-campus student apartment complex located on Route 1.
- The View
- The UMD View, a popular off-campus high-rise apartment building frequently used by students.
- The View/The Varsity
- Popular off-campus student apartment complexes located directly adjacent to the north end of campus on Route 1.
U
- UMPD
- University of Maryland Police Department, the campus-specific law enforcement agency.
W
- WMUC
- The campus student-run radio station, broadcasting at 88.1 FM.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- 251_north
- 251 North
- 4-Ride
- A nighttime safety shuttle service that provides on-demand rides to students across campus.
- DOTS
- Department of Transportation Services, the office responsible for parking enforcement and campus transit, often cited by students for strict ticketing.
- ELMS
- The Canvas-based online learning management system where students access course syllabi, assignments, and grades.
- Eppley
- Eppley Recreation Center (ERC), the primary fitness, gym, and aquatics facility on campus.
- ESJ
- Edward St. John Learning and Teaching Center, a central academic building featuring modern classrooms and study spaces.
- IRB
- The Iribe Center, the building for Computer Science and Engineering.
- Iribe
- The Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering, a high-tech building known for its glass architecture.
- McKeldin
- McKeldin Library, the university's main and largest library, situated at the head of the Mall.
- NextBus
- The real-time tracking application used by students to monitor Shuttle-UM bus arrivals.
- Nite Ride
- A curb-to-curb shuttle service provided by DOTS for safe travel across campus during late-night hours.
- Shuttle-UM
- The university-operated bus system providing transit across campus and to surrounding neighborhoods and metro stations.
- south_campus_dining_hall
- South Campus Dining Hall
- Stamp
- Adele H. Stamp Student Union, the campus hub for student activities, dining, and the university bookstore.
- stamp_student_union_food_court
- Stamp Student Union Food Court
- TerpCard
- The official student ID card used for building access, meal plans, and library services.
- TerpCash
- A pre-paid debit account linked to the student ID card used for laundry, printing, and some campus shops.
- TerpLink
- The online platform used to find and join student organizations.
- TerpPass
- The digital or physical credential used for entry into athletic events and certain campus facilities.
- Terrapin Express
- A pre-paid debit account linked to the student ID card used for purchasing food and services across campus.
- Testudo
- The official student portal website used for class registration, checking schedules, and accessing academic records.
- Testudo (Portal)
- The student information system website used for class registration, checking waitlists, and viewing unofficial transcripts.
- Testudo (site)
- The administrative web portal used for class registration, checking transcripts, and viewing financial accounts.
- Testudo (Website)
- The administrative portal used by students to register for classes, check transcripts, and view financial accounts.
- The Clarice
- The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, which houses the music, theatre, and dance departments.
- UID
- The 9-digit University Identification number assigned to every student for administrative purposes.
- UMD Alert
- The emergency notification system that sends texts and emails regarding campus safety or weather closures.
- UMD Alerts
- The emergency notification system that sends texts and emails regarding campus safety or weather closures.
- Veo
- The brand of electric scooters and bikes available for rent across campus for quick transit.
- Xfinity
- The Xfinity Center, the arena where the Maryland Terrapins basketball teams play.
- yahentamitsi_dining_hall
- Yahentamitsi Dining Hall
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall Semester 2026 runs Aug 31, 2026 – Dec 21, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 61 approved campus terms and 31 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.