i am very frustrated with the Spanish language. I speak 3 languages and I have never had a hard time with any of them as much as spanish (I can still get an A, but its annoying). In college I plan on taking latin for the pre-med track anyway so Spanish is pretty much useless to me (not trying to offend anyone). I was wondering if I drop spanish (I will only have it on my transcript for 2 years then) and take a science or another course which i have more interest in, would colleges look down on the fact that i took another language for only 2 years? I am teaching my self latin already (idk if I can mention that in college apps), but I just don’t want to take spanish. If colleges look down on the fact that I have only taken it for 2 years then i will take it for a third year, but idk if I will be judged on it or not?
What levels did you accomplished? It is more for the levels rather than the number of years in FL requirement. My D2 also hates Spanish and wanted to quit after Spanish 3 in sophomore. I convinced her to take Spanish 4 in Junior with a lot of effort as this would keep the doors to many top schools opened. With level 2 of a FL, it would still meet the minimal requirement for most schools but would make you less competitive for those that recommend 3 or 4 years of FL (unfortunately most of the top schools do).
Knowledge of Spanish may be useful in medical practice in some areas. It seems more likely that a physician will encounter a patient with weak English skills who speaks Spanish than one who speaks Latin.
Odd that you find Spanish hard when you seem to have learned other languages.
@billcsho I have only completed upto Spanish 2 and I was having a hard time with it too. I don’t know if it was just my teacher (she was lazy and just handed us work with no explanation), and for spanish 3 (which im on the fence about if i should drop it or not) my spanish teacher picks favorites and doesn’t really care about the students. she just does the presentation and is usually unwelcoming to students when they ask for help.
Keep in mind that it is not just what the schools require, but what they recommend. Additionally, consider looking into what the average or typical applicant has. For example, when I applied to undergrad, my Alma Mater required 2 years of foreign language and four were recommended but most admitted students had 4+ years (me included). If it is not your favorite subject, but you can still do well in it, I’d recommend at least finishing through Spanish IV to keep more doors open to you.
@TN034154 My D felt just like you after Spanish 3. Her teacher sucks and she found students from another teacher were doing a lot better. Anyway, she managed to finish Spanish 4 with A (or A-) at the end. She is not taking AP Spanish after that and that is fine with me.
Look at the required/recommended HS curriculum for every school you are considering applying to and be sure you have that completed. Most competitive schools look for 3 - 4 years of foreign language learned in an academic setting (defined as taking level 3 or 4 in one language). Taking 2 different languages for 2 years each is not sufficient as you do not reach level 3 or 4 in any one language. The top colleges want to see students who can succeed in a diverse array of classes so dropping language for an extra science class is not a good idea. If you don’t meet the required/recommended coursework your application will likely be at a disadvantage as many many qualification applicants would have taken all of the classes the college asks for.
There are many threads on this topic on CC (including one pinned to the top of this page) if you want to search them out and read more.