Educational quandary
 

Some of you may remember a post of mine from the old (v3) boards where I asked for advice on whether I should apply to college on my own or go back to my old high school and beg for a guidance counselor's help.

Well, I ended up doing it all myself. Surprisingly, it was a much less terrifying process than I'd expected -- just really, really tedious. I should be starting school next month.

However, I'm presented with a slight dilemma.

I took four years of German in high school, and I'd been planning to continue that in college. Unfortunately, the college I'm going to is only offering 101-level German courses in the fall semester. Based on their criteria, though, I qualify for 121, having taken German within the past two years and passed with a C or greater (and on top of that I've been told by native speakers that my German is 'almost perfect', and that I speak it like a native). If the past is any indication, though, they will offer German 121 in the spring.

I'm not really sure what I should do. I don't want to take German 101 because I know I'll be bored out of my skull, but a friend of mine (who took three years of German) tells me I should anyway, since I've been out of high school for a year and it'll be easy. I don't need a refresher in German, though, because I still speak/read/write it on a regular basis, so I'm maintaining my skills... so I assume he's telling me this because he thinks that I should take an easy course to get back in the swing of things.

However, I've been entertaining the notion of taking another language. The choices available to me aside from German are Spanish, French, Italian, and Latin. This is something I'd really like to do, since it'd be nice to visit Europe and be able to speak the language in at least some places (and Latin would be cool for sheer geek value).

What would you guys recommend I do? Take German 101 despite my considerable overqualification, start another language (and also continue German when a 121 course becomes available), or do neither and just wait till a German 121 course is available?

Wellll, I had a somewhat similar situation at one point.

One thing to consider about college is that you'll need elective credits. So this German 101 sounds like a good thing since it will be a breeze for you and it'll help out your GPA.

It also won't be stressing you out, so you can focus on your more difficult classes.

Talk to the head of the department.

He may give you credit or allow you to test out.

I'd wait until Spring. You already speak it, why sit through a class that bores you?

If you think you'd like to learn another language but aren't sure, take this opportunity to try one out. Ask yourself, though: if you do like the new language, are you ready to take several more semesters of it to get a good working knowledge?

In college, you can challenge basic courses like that one. You will have to go fill out a form, and then take a german exam. If you pass, you get credit for the class and you won't have to take it.

Go for it dude, I got into a 'Structured Programming' class at my college, and once the instructor saw some of my work he said don't bother coming to classes, he'll have one more project for me and after that I get a 4.0 and move along.


Saved a lot of work this quarter....


Leviathan

I appreciate you guys' perspectives.

I've thought about it, and I think that, easy and GPA-padding though it may be, I'm probably not going to bother with German 101. Spending a year out of school has already made me feel like a huge slacker; taking a class that I could pass with my brain tied behind my back wouldn't make me feel much better. :p

Dunno whether I'll start another language, though. I wouldn't mind learning another one (or more), but sometimes I'm really not sure if I can cram a third (or fourth or fifth...) one in my head. :p

i took spanish and french at the same time. i was once pretty good at both of them, having taken french first, waited a year, then doing spanish. however, once i started them concurrently, i couldn't speak a word of either without the other slipping in and taking over...so if you do take another language, i would suggest taking the one least related to german.

congrats on going to college, though, whatever you decide language-wise.

Take the class for the easy A. In college, you'll find your GPA gets based on how smart you are in choosing classes, not in how tough of classes you take.

Ask older friends about easy profs for required classes, make sure you take those. You'll still learn the same as your classmates, but you'll have an easier time looking for a job later in life.