university of the streets

7.7

Learning practical skills and wisdom from life and real problems rather than from school

noun

Informal

: universidad de la calle

She credits the university of the streets for teaching her skills no classroom could impart.

Examples

Many successful entrepreneurs are graduates of the university of the streets, not traditional universities.
He gained valuable wisdom at the university of the streets after leaving school early.
He learned a lot from the university of the streets.
Many believe that the university of the streets teaches valuable life lessons.
He gained valuable wisdom at the university of the streets after leaving school early.
Many successful entrepreneurs are graduates of the university of the streets, not traditional universities.
She credits the university of the streets for teaching her skills no classroom could impart.

Synonyms

real world

vsuniversity of the streets

253 3.9

Everyday life and work outside study or theory

refers to learning gained from living and facing real-life challenges

street smarts

vsuniversity of the streets

Informal

6 5.6

Knowing how to stay safe and avoid danger in a city

applies more widely to practical learning from varied real-life challenges

hands-on learning

vsuniversity of the streets

1 3.4

Study where you do practical tasks with real tools or equipment

emphasizes learning from real-life challenges rather than only direct practice

university of life

vsuniversity of the streets

Informal

1 8.2

Learning that comes from real-life experiences instead of formal education

focuses on learning from difficult real situations rather than general experience

school of hard knocks

vsuniversity of the streets

Informal

1 7.4

Life experience you get by facing hard problems instead of formal education

covers practical learning from everyday action as well as hard experiences

How Experiential

university of the streets

Informal

7.7

street smarts

Informal

6 5.6

hands-on learning

1 3.4

Surface Forms

university of the streets singular

universities of the streets plural

Morphology

university + of + the + street

The structure is a transparent metaphor: 'university' (a place of learning) applied to 'the streets' (real-life, informal environment) so a learner who knows the words can infer it means learning from practical experience rather than formal education. However, the meaning is metaphorical and culturally nuanced (the streets as a source of hard, informal lessons), so the exact connotations may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without exposure.

Etymology

University of the streets imagines the city as a school: the streets, not classrooms, teach hard, useful lessons you learn by living and working there. So, it means 'learning from real life' or 'practical experience' rather than formal education.