French - to take or not to take?

Graduate School
1

Hello! Currently a college freshman scheduling courses for next year. I am a bio major with a neuroscience minor. I am in a bit of a tough situation regarding whether or not to take French next year. After this semester, I will have completed the two required semesters of a foreign language, but I have to decide on pursuing a minor.

My French professor actually reached out to me to encourage me to pursue a major, and I was extremely honored. I knew in the back of my mind that I wasn’t going to pursue that path being that my passion is within the sciences. I feel like I am slowly losing my passion/interest in French, and the next course is an in-depth literature and writing course, which I think I would probably not enjoy. If I did continue with French I could study abroad in France and live with a host family and take classes with French students.

I know I am only a freshman, but my question is, does knowing a second language potentially stand out in grad school admissions/med school admissions? I know that is definitely not a good reason to pursue a certain area of studies, but I have definitely been wondering if it does distinguish students who have otherwise very science-y backgrounds. Right now I am interested in pediatric/prenatal genetic counseling, bio behavioral health fields, embryology, or pediatric neuropsychology.

I am at an intermediate advanced French level and have been in French classes for 7 years, so I am not sure if I would feel horrible throwing my language skills down the drain and missing a cool opportunity to improve my French in another country. I just don’t know how applicable it is to my potential careers and/or grad schools.

Maybe I am just overthinking this…any advice would be appreciated, though!

2

only if its needed for the grad program (and for neuro, they won’t care)

A plus if it was Spanish or Chinese. Otherwise, no.

3

No only take it if you enjoy it and can put in the time for it.

4

Thank you! I think it probably just comes down to whether it’s something that I enjoy and find to be an extra area of studies that interest me.

5

If you don’t enjoy literature and literary analysis, majoring in French might not be right for you. A pro to it would be that your French will improve, especially during a homestay experience. Knowing the language is also beneficial if you want to work for an NGO like Doctors Without Borders.

If you decide to not continue your French studies, you can always continue to learn it through apps Duolingo and HelloTalk. To study abroad, you could see if your university has programs in France or other Francophone countries that don’t require the language.