I need help with college! Please :D

D

darin1992

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May 20, 2008
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Well, heres the deal...next year I'll be a junior in High School and I have no room in my schedule but they say I have to take 2 years of a foreign language for college. Are there exceptions to this? Because I was thinking...wouldn't a college take someone who was really smart even without the languages? Anyone have any words of wisdom to help me convince my counselor?
PLEASE!!

Regards,
--Darin
 
Nope.

2 years of a foreign language is a pretty standard requirement for every standard institution I've ever looked at. You might end up taking a few semesters of community college to make it up.

Your counselors should have been working with you from Sophomore year on to make sure you got the courses you needed for minimum req.
 
Community colleges don't have any real entrance requirements. If nothing else, you can pick up some language credits there.

they're not terribly expensive either.
 
right - what they said. of course - in my high school you couldn't graduate without that requirement, so it wasn't just a college thing - it was a high school requirement.

but - if they let you walk without the credits, then you'll most likely have to take some classes in a community college to get those language credits in before you can apply for higher education.
 
If all else fails, you still have this summer and the summer in between jun/senior year. Might beable to take a summer class or two to make them up?
 
Since you have two years left, I would see what you could do about dropping a class you don't need (if you're taking any electives this upcoming year that is) and replacing it with a foreign language. That seems like one of the few options you might have in order to be ready by the time you finish school.

Or you can see if you can cut a deal somehow, maybe try to take a level 1 and 2 course during your senior year.
 
Why don't you like learning other languages? Speaking more than one language can make you considerably smarter. Your counselor wants to save you some trouble. Language classes are usually 5 units in college and what you tend to do in one year at high school you do in one semester, or two half semesters depending on the college or university. I am not so sure about the not enough room claim though. Differentiate between want and need and go with the need. I give you the decision making process in all its glory.

http://wsjclassroomedition.com/pdfs/decision.pdf

Community colleges will take you upon proof of graduation from high school. And you should go community then university because even UCI is planing to start requiring sophomores and bellow to complete their first 2 years at community colleges due to impacted majors on their campus. And its a ton cheaper.
 
My only real advice is to take the courses. If you absolutely have to take them, you'll just have to drop one of your other classes. They aren't that bad (I personally took four years of Spanish).
 
There are a few...one friend of mine didn't take a language course and ended up going to a private college that didn't require it.

However, I'd highly recommend taking one. I took a gamble by holding off my language for my senior year (my school only needed one year of language courses).
 
All the above + just take the language. If your smart (like you said you are) it shouldn't be too difficult. You'll be better for knowing at least some of another language.
 
I've been to a University and I'm attending a Community College at the moment.. neither 1 of them required foreign language.
 
I have mixed feelings on it, because two years of a language is next to useless. And you forget it all a year later anyways, because you don't actively have to speak it.
 
Heh Drew, I agree, I remember very little spanish. But I also remember very little of World Civilizations, AP European History, Sociology, etc.... High school is basically a time for useless classes ;)
 
First year or two of college is pretty useless too. Until you get into classes for your major. They try and make you a well rounded person... who needs that. haha.
 
[quote1211923652=RaiN]
First year or two of college is pretty useless too. Until you get into classes for your major. They try and make you a well rounded person... who needs that. haha.
[/quote1211923652]

that's why you should attempt to declare early...especially if you're going in for a science or math based major. i mean sure, you could wait until sophomore year to declare and just do electives until then, but if you're going into chem, bio, physics or any math major, you'll be beating yourself about it later...
 
Well heres the thing. Try your HARDEST to fit in a language course this year and the next. If you really cant, there are summer programs you can find to teach you the course so you can test out of it in order to receive credit.
 
Most colleges want 2 years if you are in California and want to go to a UC make sure you try and fit in 3 years. I hated all 3 of my years but it was worth it in the end.
 
Really depends on the college.... I got into UW-Milwaukee with only 1 year of French. Finished up my requirement to graduate from college with 2 more semester classes. Honestly when I was looking around, U of M, Steven's Point, Eau Claire... I only believe Steven's Point had a problem with it.
 
[quote1211961888=Drew The Pirate]
I have mixed feelings on it, because two years of a language is next to useless. And you forget it all a year later anyways, because you don't actively have to speak it.
[/quote1211961888]

IF you don't actively speak it. I have studied on my own time 3 other languages and it helped me get into a pretty decent university. I also did what drew said and I went to a community college and took 2 yrs. of Japanese. That helped as well. Languages are a wonderful thing to learn and NOT a waste of time.
 
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