<p>Hey guys, I just have a couple of questions:</p>
<li><p>I am required to fulfill the foreign language by taking a placement test before orientation. If I do horrible on the test and have to take three semesters of language will this ruin my chance to graduate in time.</p></li>
<li><p>If I have to start from the first level of foreign language can I learn a new language like say learn French when I had previously learned Spanish in high school?</p></li>
<li><p>Is it very hard to graduate in 4 years because the statistics show that only 43% of people graduate in 4 years?</p></li>
<li><p>Is it a common for minorities and whites to be interacting and being friends with each other or are social groups based on cultural interest? I am a minority from California by the way</p></li>
<li><p>Very random but anybody how much does the Babcock Ice Cream cost for 1 scoop or whatever they give?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Your comments will be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>No, yes, no--many people work and change majors and are in no hurry to leave Madison, about the same as any school--some interact and others like to stay in their groups, less than $2.</p>
<p>Wow!!!</p>
<p>Thanks for the quick response.</p>
<p>You can graduate in four years as long as you take 15 credits a semester. Many students come in with a few credits form AP and other college level classes and whatnot. Taking a foreign language won't ruin your chances to graduate in four years, in fact I highly reccomend taking a foreign language at UW because they offer so many you may not have seen at the high school level.</p>
<p>You only take the foreign language test in a language you plan to continue at UW. If you took a language in HS and don't intend to continue in it you can use those years to meet the semesters of foreign language requirements without taking any placement tests. The math and English (or whatever it's called these days) placement tests are needed regardless of how many AP credits in them you can use to meet UW requirements. Do take a second, new, foreign language- it's a great idea.</p>
<p>Being a minority is as big a deal as you make of it- you can choose to make it an issue if you want to, or have people know you and think of everything you have in common with them, often forgetting the differences. Please don't be offended if people try to expand their horizons by asking you questions- California is a lot different than the Midwest. BTW, a CA minority- I don't want to know, but I'd choose Asian or Hispanic as one not as common here; but you may not realize that many SE Asians, especially Hmongs, and many Hispanics, especially Mexicans, have immigrated to many places in Wisconsin, giving us more exposure to noneuropean cultures in recent years.</p>
<p>Hey wis75,</p>
<p>So if I took Spanish all 4 years of high school and if I choose not to take any foreign language classes at Wisco, the university will count my high school Spanish classes as fulfillment for a foreign language requirement for a letters and science major? And I don't have to take any placement tests?
Thanks</p>
<p>Hey wis75</p>
<p>regarding the foreign language it said on my admission paper that I am required to take the language test probably because I only have 2 years of high school Spanish. I wanted to know if I do horrible on the placement test that I have to start from level 1, can I start a new language (such as French or Italian) to fulfill the language degree requirement or do I still have to take three semesters of Spanish?</p>
<p>Another query: I've taken four years of Spanish in high school so I've fulfilled the language requirement for The College of Letters & Science, but if I want to get the "retro credits" by taking Spanish 204 I will have to place into that class during SOAR. If, however, I do not place into that class (place into a lower level), will I be required to complete any language classes in the college, barring the probability that I will want to try and pick up a new one.</p>
<p>jeff...You could start with a new language and take 3 semesters of it, the test reminder is so you don't presume you can just sign up for the 3rd semester of Spanish (if you took the 1st course you would still need 4 semesters of Spanish, your HS classes would mean nothing except to give you an edge in the class). </p>
<p>WSH...there is a difference between meeting reqs and getting credit so I can't imagine taking away fulfillment of the req, or everyone would have to take the test. As always, remember to get the official answers from UW itself, this is merely a forum. Some elite schools will not let anyone get by without proof of competency, the parents of the publics would surely protest if their HS language depts were considered incapable of judging successful completion of language levels- and some students will have had a year or more since taking the language so testing may not reflect their knowledge when they last took the course. However, to give UW credits requires knowing a certain level of competency was achieved, such as AP tests do, that's why the placement test also serves as a test for giving credit if the next course is taken successfully.</p>
<p>Remember the other 2 placement tests- if you feel a need to brush up on your basic math (see their info on what is tested), do so- you would hate to have to take a remedial no credit towards graduation course in something you knew but hadn't needed in a while.</p>