university of the streets
- 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
253
3.9
Everyday life and work outside study or theory
6
5.6
Knowing how to stay safe and avoid danger in a city
1
3.4
Study where you do practical tasks with real tools or equipment
1
8.2
Learning that comes from real-life experiences instead of formal education
1
7.4
Life experience you get by facing hard problems instead of formal education
How Experiential
Surface Forms
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.