My next question: what is the difference between a sveučilište, and a veleučilište? "Sveučilište" is a university, like University of Zagreb, and it consists of several different faculties, each specialising in a specific field. "Veleučilište" is a polytechnic - a higher education facility offering education in a specific vocation, usually focused more towards practical knowledge than academic study of a field.

Then these words I don't know: prvostupnik and magistar struke. Does anyone know the English equivalent to them? And then 'doktor znanosti' is doctor of sciences I guess. I there a 'doctor of arts' too? "Prvostupnik" is a bachelor's degree, which you get after you finish your undergraduate programme (first three years). "Magistar" is a master's degree, which you get after finishing additional two years of studies. Yes, "doktor znanosti" is a "doctor of sciences" and as far as I'm aware, and I might be wrong here, it is a general term which covers any kind of PhD education, regardless of its being in arts or "hard" sciences.

Also on a lot of forms I have to fill things out asking my education level with acronyms like 'VSS.' What do these things stand for? :D Those acronyms denote the level of your education completed so far. This is a bit tricky because after the introduction of the Bologna education system in Croatia in 2005, they became a bit obsolete and replaced by new terminology and are frequently avoided these days. SSS - high school degree. VŠS - bachelor's degree. VSS - master's degree.

Is there a difference between an odsjek and a zavod? "Odsjek" is a department at a faculty, and "zavod" is an institute, an office, an agency dealing with certain problems. As such, "zavod" is usually used in non-academic terms. For example, "Zavod za zapošljavanje" (Employment Institute). Faculties or universites may have their own "zavod"s for issues related to their operation.

What is a studentska služba / referada? :) Student Administration office. You go there if you have to solve any sort of paperwork or administrative issues.

And what is a 'kabinet' in a school? A teacher's/lecturer's office.

Also, how does one use the words 'apsolvirati, diplomirati, magistrirati, and doktorirati' in a sentence? Especially apsolvirati, as I can't even figure out what it means. They seem like odd things to be verbs. Oh boy, this one will be tricky "Doktorirati" means "to get my doctor's degree/PhD. Example: Doktorirao sam prošle godine. (I got my doctor's degree last year.) The next two basically mean to graduate from university, but not exactly in the same manner. As verbs, they are used in the same way as doktorirati: "Magistrirati" (to get your master's degree - Magistrirao sam prošle godine.) and "diplomirati" (to finish your higher education altogether, usually at the same time as to get your master's degree - Diplomirao sam prošle godine). There are two different words in existance because historically you didn't get a masters at the same time you graduated. "Apsolvirati" means "to finish all the smesters you were originally supposed to", although not necessarily to graduate because you might not have passed all your exams. If you have finished your designated five years at university, and you still have exams to pass, then you are an "apsolvent".

What are preddiplomski, diplomski, and poslijediplomski things? Like a preddiplomski studij, for example. "Preddiplomski" - undergraduate course (three years). "Diplomski" - graduate course (additional two years). "Postlijediplomski"/"postdiplomski" - Your further education after graduating, like a PhD education. I'm not sure if this exists anymore in light of the Bologna system.

Just a few more questions: sometimes I here people use weird words with 'ispit.' Like 'pasti.' Is it supposed to be 'pasti ispit' or 'pasti na ispitu' to 'fail and exam'? Also, what does 'držati/održavati ispite' mean? Yes. "pasti ispit" and "pasti na ispitu" are two syntactically different forms for expressing the same thing - failing your exam. "Držati"/"Održati" ispite is something that your lecturers do. When they "održe ispit" (the closest translation I can think of is "to give the exam"), they give you one of multiple opportunities to take your exam.

Brucoš/brucošica I don't know whatsoever, and brucošijada too. "Brucoš" is a male freshman, "brucošica" is a female freshman, or a freshwoman, if you will. "Brucošijada" is a party organised by older students to welcome the freshmen, usually sometimes during the beginning of the academic year.

What's an izborni kolegij? :) And sveučilišni and obvezatni kolegij? "Izborni kolegij" - elective course. You choose one of several elective courses that are offered to you. "Obvezatni kolegij" - mandatory course. You absolutely have to take it as a part of your programme. "Sveučišišni kolegij" or just "kolegij" is any course taught at a university.

Also, how do you say 'entrance exam'? Prijemni ispit.

What does 'dati uvjet' mean? To complete all your obligations for a course (homework, papers...), and for the lecturer to give you permission to take the exams.

Here's a hard one: I struggle with saying the word 'class.' I don't understand the differences between predavanje, razred, čas, and nastava. How do I say 'I got to class' and 'I have classes' and 'he is in my class' and stuff? "Predavanje" (and "čas", although this is more common in Serbian) - just one class at a particular time in a particular place. "Idem na predavanje." - "I'm going to that one specific class." "Idem na predavanje utorkom ujutro." - "I go to my tuesday morning class." "Nastava" is "class" in general terms - all your individual classes viewed collectively. "Razred" is not used at university-level education, only in elementary and secondary schools. It denotes a group of people with whom you take all your courses as a group, as opposed to university where you usually take different courses with different people (although there is always overlapping of course, but you get the point).

Another thing: the Croatian lessons I will be taking are called 'Jezične vježbe iz hrvatskog jezika.' I thought 'iz' meant 'from.' Why do they use 'iz' there? Also students on the tečaj aren't called 'studenti' but something starting with a 'p'. What is it? Ponaznik? Polaznik? Yes, "iz" means "from", but in Croatian it has a few other meanings. In your example, it roughly means "in" / "in what type", as in "language exercises in Croatian". The thing is, as you will surely notice, in Croatian prepositions are much simpler than in English, and few prepositions cover a wide range of meanings. "Idem na fakultet." "Stavi kutiju na stol." "Možeš pjevati na nekoliko načina."

Lastly, not really related to school, about phones in Croatia. People keep using the word 'nadoplatiti' and 'nadoplata' in relation to my phone minutes, and I can't find that word anywhere in literally any dictionary. Could someone perhaps explain it to me and use it in a sentence? "Nadoplatiti" means to pay a sum of money to get new phone minutes, and the proces of doing so is "nadoplata". "Nadoplatio sam minute" - "I bought more minutes."