I am a firm believer that every college student should take a language class before they graduate. Regardless of your major, career plans, or fields of interest, a language can help to elevate your college experience and make you a more well-rounded individual. I know, it may sound crazy, why take an extra class if it’s not a requirement? Why take a class that has a reputation of being super hard to handle?
Learning something new, especially when it’s outside of your comfort zone, is a great thing. To push yourself is to make yourself into a better person and will help to widen your experiences. A language, in particular, will expose you to a new culture, and possibly even a new way of life.
Most students were required to take language classes throughout their academic careers before they reached college. I know I was, and I quite honestly hated it. Being forced to take a language when there are few options and you are surrounded by other students who aren’t passionate about learning is horrible. Little progress is made, and it is completely demoralizing.
When I reached college, I decided to complete a minor for my Political Science degree in the Russian department which meant I had to wade back into the horrors of language.
And guess what? It’s not horrible!
Learning a language in college is different than doing so in high school. For one, very few majors require it, so those taking the courses actually want to learn. There’s also a larger selection of possibilities because of the many departments housed in the school, which means you can pick the language you want, and not what you are assigned.
It’s fun to learn something new and see yourself grow! I am nowhere near fluent in Russian and still have a long way to go, but every new word or concept I learn feels like a cause for celebration. Trying something so different from my core classes breaks up the monotony and makes my weeks more exciting.
Now I get it. Taking a language may be scary. There’s the worry of messing up your GPA or just not having the space to take it in a given semester. However, since you’re choosing to take this language, it doesn’t matter where you fit it in. Freshman or senior, fall or spring, the choice is yours. Also, being that this isn’t a requirement, you can pass/fail or audit the class instead. The risks are minimal and the returns are high.
So, take one language course before you graduate. Challenge yourself and learn something completely new. It will be worth it.
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