<p>True enough, any Asian language is extremely difficult for Westerners to pick up. But look at it this way. If something is easy to do, then a lot of people will be able to do it, and so you won't derive much competitive advantage from doing it. On the other hand, if something is hard to do, and you do it, then you will have a valuable skill that is hard for others to replicate. </p>
<p>It is also true that you can't really pick up a language through 4 years of casual study. The best way to learn a language is to just go live in the country where that language is spoken. Which is why study-abroad/student exchange programs are so useful. If you really want to learn Mandarin, go study in Taiwan or mainland China for a while. If you go to mainland China, you should probably go to Beijing, where Mandarin is most prevalent (you should avoid Southern China where regional dialects often prevail).</p>