student asking question

"junior" is 2nd grader? I think "senior" is 3rd grader, then what about 1st grader?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Almost!! In relation to high school, the grades would actually be 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. 9th is the first year of high school, which is freshman year, since they're "fresh," or new, into high school. 10th grade is junior year, 11th grade is sophomore year, and grade 12 is senior year, their last year of secondary school. The same thing doesn't apply to elementary and middle school! But, it does apply to college, also known as university. There you wouldn't refer to them as "grades," though, but rather, "years." So a freshman college student is in their first year! Ex: I finished 8th grade last year, so now I'm a freshman in high school. Ex: Being a senior in university is a lot of work.

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