The term "third level" can refer to different concepts depending on the context:
- In the context of education, the "third level" refers to tertiary or higher education obtained after secondary school. It includes qualifications such as bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctorates awarded by universities and colleges as a higher level of academic achievement.
- In the context of literature, specifically in the story "The Third Level" by Jack Finney, the "third level" refers to an imaginary, hidden level at New York's Grand Central Station. It symbolizes a means of escape from the stresses of modern life to a peaceful, simpler past (the year 1894). It is a metaphorical retreat to a world of fantasy and desire between reality and dreams.
Thus, the meaning depends on whether the reference is to education or to the metaphorical level in the literary work.
