[Vocabulary] a free period between two classes

[englishhobby]

Is there one word (neutral, colloquial or slang) for a free period (= free lesson) between two classes at university?
Can I say On Monday I have a free period from 12 to 12.30?

 

[Matthew Wai]

'Recess
3 (North American English) (British English break, break time) [uncountable]
a period of time between lessons at school'── quoted from
http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/recess_1?q=recess

 

[englishhobby]

I have corrected my original post. I need a word meaning "a free lesson between two other lessons" (e. g. a teacher might have a free lesson on his/her schedule when he/she doesn't have to teach after which there is another lesson).

 

[Tarheel]

That wouldn't be a free lesson. That would be free time or unscheduled time.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I would call this break a free period, not a free lesson.

 

[konungursvia]

In Toronto, we sometimes call this a 'spare,' or a 'free period.'

 

[Matthew Wai]

Does it make sense to say 'a gap between lessons'?

 

[Tarheel]

Does it make sense to say 'a gap between lessons'?

Not to me.

 

[Skrej]

Sometimes you'll hear it referred to as 'a period off', or 'an off period'.

Alternately, just call it a break between classes.

 

[englishhobby]

And if you want to emphasize what is the number of the "free period", how will you word it? I remember someone's suggestion "I have a free period first thing (so I don't have to get to the university at 8.30, for the first period?) Is it OK? And what about "second thing"?

 

[MikeNewYork]

I have first (second, third, etc.) period free.

 

[Skrej]

At least in the US university system, students don't normally have a class every period of every day. Classes don't necessarily all start on the same time schedule anyway - some will begin on the hour, others begin on the half hour, or even quarter hour, because they run for different amounts of time. Some classes only last an hour, some 90 minutes, etc., so there aren't set periods like in high school where there's a clear 1st, 2nd, 3rd period, etc.

I typically would say something like "I don't have class until 9:30", or "I'm free from 10:00-12:30", or "I have a break at 9:30", or "I've got a period/hour/two hours/an hour and a half off at 9:30", etc.