The Plantations (noun).
plan…t’'sh?n ; rhymes with "clan stations"
Definition: Cornell's museum of living plants. Its arboretum, botanical gardens, and nature preserves include the Robison York State Herb Garden, a poisonous plant garden, a wildflower garden, and miles of trails that twist through its 2,900 acres.
Attested: I first came across this term during the first two weeks at Cornell. I was jogging around Beebe Lake with a friend and about half way around, there was a sign that read, "<-- Plantations." I was shocked and felt a chill going down my spine. I found it startling how my friend didn't think anything of it and I couldn't help but blurt out, "Don't you find it weird in the least bit that Cornell has Ö plantations here!?!" She just laughed at me and began her explanation.
Example: "Let's go take a walk to the Plantations today; it's such a beautiful day!"
Etymology: This term, which is commonly thought of as a field in the southern part of the United States where slave labor predominates, does not in any sense apply here at Cornell. All faculty members and students are aware of this term because everyone must have at least gone here once to experience this breath-taking sight, namely in the spring and summer. There is no actual origin of this title, but it could have been formed by the base word, "plants," since it consists of a plethora of plants and gardens.
- Heather Wang

Points (noun)
Pronunciation: rhymes with "joints"
Definition: a method of payment for food at Cornell dining facilities. Point values correspond to dollar values.
Attested: I first encountered this term when I signed up for a meal plan last summer.
Example: "I'm not sure if I have enough points to feed myself all the way until the end of the semester!"
Etymology: In the english language it is acceptable to assign this word to any units of measurement. Where some schools might use the term 'declining balance' or just 'dollars', at Cornell the money that one has on his or her ID card is referred to in 'points'. Points are an alternative to other meal plan options, including meals. This term was most likely created out of necessity for a unit of measurement: points was the most obvious word.
- Amadee Meyer

Problem Set (noun)
prob'-lem set; rhymes with "come get"
Definition: An assignment (usually weekly or biweekly) given by a professor covering material taught over a period of time. A typical one usually encompasses the material covered in class between the date assigned and the due date.
Attested: I first heard this word in a number of my classes in the beginning of my freshman year at Cornell in August, 1999.
Example: The problem set due next Monday in physics deals with Newton's laws of motion and frictional forces.
Etymology: This term is popular in college and university settings. The terminology is mainly used for science, math, and engineering courses, but can appear in almost every course of study in this or any other university. The term problem set is synonymous to the word homework, and is used as a substitute. The possible reasoning for terminating the use of the word homework was due to the change from the high school setting to the college setting. The word homework could create a negative connotation, a childish assignment that involves little effort in completing. Therefore, the creation of the term problem set (exercises which are one of the few methods in gaining the material) would eliminate this negative connotation.
- Michael Senra