<p>You are allowed to take 4 classes MAX your first semester, and believe me, 4 classes is not a lazy course load. It is not uncommon to hear of people taking 3 or 5 courses, but 4 is truly a full course load and is not regarded as something that needs to be exceeded (sometimes I get the impression that that is the case elsewhere from looking at my friends' schedules at good state schools). But PE doesn't count as a class, and many people begin PE in their first semester (although I didn't). PE classes generally meet once a week, so it's not very much to add onto a schedule. Art can be very time consuming and students often caution each other to think twice about using an art class as a light fourth (or fifth, after your first semester) course for this reason. </p>
<p>I should also add that my friend had a very stressful roommate experience--a combination of a wacky roommate and being a pretty easily disturbed person, I think. So her situation may have been compounded by that (although she was pretty good about keeping those things separate and using school work as a focus away from those issues). At any rate, especially since you have the language requirement fulfilled already, if you are truly interested in Arabic I'd say go for it. </p>
<p>Just FYI: If you were to take French 201/202 at Wellesley you would forfeit your AP credit (because it is considered the equivalent). Looking at your background in French I would assume that you are easily beyond that level, but I just thought I should make you aware of it.</p>
<p>thanks for clearing that up for me. i definitely plan to take language classes, i just wasn't sure if i'd already fulfilled the requirement or not.</p>
<p>The girl that led my campus tour is a Russian major and is going to the Republic of Georgia in the fall! It was so cool to talk to her and tell her that I was born in the Republic of Georgia and lived in Russia for 7 years! It totally made me want to go to Wellesley even more!!</p>
<p>... a mother here...since it takes so long to master a language via the classroom, seems to me the best way is to study abroad allowing you more time for other classes while at school. Many SA programs may require language proficiency though.</p>
<p>I agree with MQD. I have studied German in a classroom for 3 years, but then went abroad to Slovakia and mastered the language in 1 year! I had to take classes and everything in Slovak! (My German skills are not great :p ) Unless you have a really spectular teacher that really gets through to you-then you learn SO much better.</p>
<p>Hahaha so the impression that I have gotten so far is that things are not what they first appear to be. In high school two language classes would have been a piece of cake, but at Wellesley maybe not. Bummer. D: I don't want to pick between Russian and Japanese!</p>
<p>^^ I know someone who's taking French and Arabic and she says it's not so bad. I think the trick might be taking one language that might be a little simpler and one that's more challenging. Japanese and Russian are both similarly difficult. I also know Japanese at Wellesley is really, really time-consuming. My friend in beginning Japanese has class five days a week and quizzes about four days a week.</p>
<p>Hmmm but if I already have a grasp of the Russian language (I can be considered fluent but English is still a lot better) then perhaps it's possible? Thank you Swellesley, you have given me hope. :)</p>
<p>^oh, if that's the case, then yeah, definitely! I don't know if you should do both languages first semester or even first yr though. Start out with Japanese and then add Russian later since you know it already. Language classes meet 2-5 days a week, so it would be a little tricky to take both every semester and still fulfill your requirements.</p>
<p>Hmmm, would I kill myself if I take International Relations/Economics and Russian Area study major together? Gah, I like both so much! I may be able to get 2 credits for the econs section but somehow I have the feeling that I don't need to go home in order to complete all the credits :/</p>
<p>There are a lot of opportunities to get caught up in other people's worries. First semester class registration was a nightmare for me, not because I was particularly worried at first, but the fact that everyone practically slept with the course catalog under their pillow and talked schedules nonstop started to stress me out. It definitely took me a while to adjust to that.</p>
<p>If you're that type of planner, then do it (I'm sure many of us were four-year planning at this time last year :] ). But if you're not, please don't feel like you need to know what you're doing right now! As I learned from a lot of upperclasswomen (I'm sure you will too), everything works out, breathe, relax.</p>