Is there a medical difference between 'asthma symptoms' and 'asthma attack'? like, i can have symptoms without having a full on attack?

Yes.: Asthma is a chronic disease; with persistent asthma, there are always symptoms (like nighttime awakenings and quicker onset of fatigue with exercise) even at baseline.

severity varies: "symptoms" ; "attack" are just 2 ways of describing the same process as it varies in severity. "attack" = distress that needs more aggressive treatment to avoid bad complications. "symptoms" = when there is some wheezing or mild shortness of breath that needs a hit of albuterol (or other rescue inhaler). If you have symptoms more than a cpl x's a week, it's worth a preventive, daily inhaler.