study, learning, science
学 centers on the process of gaining knowledge: studying, learning, and the organized fields of science that result from that pursuit.
学 is the modern simplified form of 學. The older form depicts two hands (臼) passing down knowledge (爻) under a roof (宀) to a child (子), representing teaching and learning.
The top ⺌ and 冖 look like a simplified school building, and 子 is a child. Picture a child under a school roof, studying and learning.
For ガク, imagine a student at a desk saying 'Gak!' as they finally understand a tough science concept: Gak -> ガク, and the lightbulb moment happens in the schoolhouse.
school
university; college
student (esp. a university student)
science
learning; scholarship; study; erudition; knowledge; education
to learn; to study; to take lessons in
educational institution; school; academy; campus
primary school; elementary school; grade school
elementary school student; primary school student; grade school student
learning; study
scholar; academic; scientist
junior high school; middle school; lower secondary school
junior high school student; middle school pupil
chemistry
admission (to a school or university); entrance; enrolment; enrollment; matriculation
mathematics
university student; college student
medicine; medical science
philosophy
learned society; scientific society; academy; academic meeting; academic conference
studying abroad
junior high school; middle school; lower secondary school
literature
faculty (of a university); school; college; department
graduate school
inspection; study by observation; field trip; tour; review
commuting to school; school commute
subject (of study); course of study
advancing to the next stage of education; going on to (high school, college, etc.)
academic year; school year
academic background; academic credentials; academic record
institute; academy
engineering
study; scholarship; learning; education; knowledge
elementary school; primary school; grade school
school term; semester
encouragement to study
overseas student; exchange student
science; learning; scholarship; arts and sciences; academic pursuits
faculty of medicine; college of medicine; department of medicine; school of medicine; medical school
dropping out of school; withdrawal from school
optics
scholarly ability; scholarship; knowledge; literary ability
excursion; field trip; school trip
(school) class
(university) president; chancellor; principal; provost
Soka Gakkai (lay organization based on Nichiren Buddhism)
study of foreign languages
tuition; school expenses
(academic) degree
attending (school, college, etc.); being enrolled; being a student
arts and sciences; liberal arts
mechanics; dynamics
(physical) science; natural science
faculty of law; school of law; college of law
elementary and middle school pupils
esthetics; aesthetics
astronomy
self-education; self-instruction; self-study
studies; schoolwork; classwork
entering school; school attendance
law; jurisprudence
archaeology; archeology
(study of) pharmacy; pharmaceutics
faculty of engineering; school of engineering; college of engineering; department of engineering
graduate student; postgraduate student
school district; school area
physiology
within the school
private (non-governmental) school (college, university)
junior college; vocationally oriented post-secondary institution offering two or three-year programs
theology; divinity
university graduate; bachelor
student; follower; students and pupils
schoolchild; pupil
study; pursuit of knowledge
upper grades of primary school (sixth, fifth, and sometimes fourth grades)
student discount
theory
forensic medicine; forensic pathology
coeducation; mixed-sex education
biochemistry
faculty of science; school of science; college of science
suspension from school
temporary absence from school
scholarship; scientific attainments
study of history
faculty of agriculture; school of agriculture; department of agriculture
faculty of science and engineering; college of science and engineering; school of science and engineering
school friend
whole college
academic world; academia; academic circles; scientific world; learned circles
pure literature; belles-lettres
interdisciplinary
erudition; extensive learning
girls' school
study of classical Japanese literature and culture
Confucianism
school age
Japanese literature
commercial science
night school; evening school; evening class
school for the blind
college graduate
scholar; student
Science and Technology Agency (1956-2001)
humanities; arts
anthropology
lower grades of primary school (first, second, and sometimes third grades)
ethics; moral philosophy
optical character recognition; OCR
entrance examination
chemical weapon
chemical substance; chemical
chemical fertilizer; chemical fertiliser
medical science
continuing one's education into university
popular literature
scholarship; stipend; bursary; grant-in-aid
academic journal
school name
(legally) incorporated educational institution
student days
government course (curriculum) guidelines
vocational school; technical school
geometry
architecture
psychology
scholar of literature; literary person; man of letters
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; MEXT
new school term
Science Council of Japan
bibliography (study of books); bibliology
forestry; silviculture
dietetics; nutritional science
meteorology
physics
ecology
biology
sociology
social science
science and technology; technology; scientific techniques
scientific
scientist
economics
natural science
English(-language) literature
anatomy
senior high school; high school