Aspects of Nonrenormalizable Terms in a Superstring Derived Standard--like Model

I investigate the role of nonrenormalizable terms, up to order N=8, in a superstring derived standard--like model. I argue that nonrenormalizable terms restrict the gauge symmetry, at the Planck scale, to be $SU(3)\times SU(2)\times U(1)_{B-L}\times U(1)_{T_{3_R}}$ rather than $SU(3)\times SU(2)\times U(1)_Y$. I show that breaking the gauge symmetry directly to the Standard Model leads to breaking of supersymmetry at the Planck scale, or to dimension four, baryon and lepton violating, operators. I show that if the gauge symmetry is broken directly to the Standard Model the cubic level solution to the F and D flatness constraints is violated by higher order terms, while if $U(1)_{Z^\prime}$ remains unbroken at the Planck scale, the cubic level solution is valid to all orders of nonrenormalizable terms. I discuss the Higgs and fermion mass spectrum. I demonstrate that realistic, hierarchical, fermion mass spectrum can be generated in this model.