<p>Hello everyone. I'm a transfer student that is going to be entering Emory in the Fall 2012 semester. I know that languages are required at Emory (at least two classes) but I am also going to be an International Affairs/Journalism major, so I want to take a language for all three years there.
I've studied French for five years, three in high school and two in middle school, so I'm pretty decent at it. I'm not sure if I want to continue with French though. The other two languages that I am looking at are Chinese and Arabic (which are both very difficult to learn, I know).
My question is, how are the language classes at Emory? I would be starting at a higher level in French, and I would start with the basic courses if I was to take Chinese or Arabic. For those of you who have taken Chinese or Arabic there, did you feel like you were learning a lot? I know it would be very difficult to become fluent, but it will be even worse if the class is poorly taught and the textbooks are unhelpful.
I would like this thread to NOT disintegrate into an argument about which language is the best or easiest to learn. I am also not sure which area of the world I want to work with yet--I'm interested in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe, so really I'm all over the place.
Thanks for your help!!</p>
<p>The language classes here are VERY rigorous both in difficulty and the workload. The intro level courses, like Chinese 101 or Arabic 101 that you would be taking meet for 4 times a week (for a total of 250 minutes) instead of 3 times/week (for a total of 150 minutes) like most other classes. You’ll be expected to be writing short sentences and speaking the basics by the end of first semester , plus there will likely be daily vocab quizzes, reading assignments, and weekly writing assignments. A lot of work but at least for the intros it’s not difficult work. Also some lazy students here who have already had previous experience in the language will try to place into the intros instead of the middle or upper levels by purposely bombing a placement exam, which many of the language departments here have. For French you would probably get placed into 300 level (ie upper level) class. Those classes will meet the usual 3 times per week but you probably get a lot more outside reading and writing assignments that are not only time consuming but also difficult (assuming the placed you in the correct level). Most of the others in the class will already speak it with some proficiency so you could struggle if you level isn’t up there or if you don’t put in the effort.</p>
<p>How do the placement exams work for languages? Can you test out of the required classes or does the test just place you in the appropriate level? My S. is in Spanish and languages are definitely not his area of interest…thus he is looking to take the classes and get a good grade.</p>
<p>He is thinking that it is okay if he does not do that well in the placement test if he can place into a class that is not too hard where he can do well.</p>
<p>Also it looks like he could go to Madrid next summer to fulfill the two classes. Do you know when they start to post the summer classes?</p>
<p>What do you think? Is the only way to test out through AP tests? My S. is looking to fulfill the requirement with the least amount of pain!</p>
<p>I don’t really see the point in submitting most AP tests (I didn’t even bother taking any). </p>
<p>I know for Spanish, you’ll take an assessment designed by the department. So your placing will be based on that. I’d say 200 level classes are easier than 101 because of the less time committed to them. But I don’t know anything about being abroad. Didn’t really attract me ever.</p>
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<p>No, you can’t use placement tests to test out of a requirement since the placement tests do no give you course credit; they are only used to place you at the right level. So yes AP/IB are they only way to get 4 credit hrs for a language (you need 8 to graduate so you would only have to take one more semester instead of two).</p>
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<p>Sorry but that’s just plain incorrect. Having significant AP credit coming in (you can use up to 24 hrs now) gives you several significant advantages including:</p>
<p>a) Fulfilling GERs in areas you won’t be majoring, and getting more credits toward graduation. That way you can start by taking classes you actually need or are interested in.</p>
<p>b) Since you have more credits and more GERs out of the way, you may be able to graduate a year earlier, shaving off time needed to get your degree and saving tuition money. </p>
<p>c) You can use it place out of intro classes in the areas you are majoring in or otherwise need for a preprof requirement. The 100 level classes are often weedout (such as Gen Chem or Gen Bio for you premeds) and are filled with disinterested students who didn’t have the AP credit and thus are stuck in the class. Taking upper level classes right away in the subject area in which you have AP puts you with people who are generally more interested and motivated, not to mention those classes are much more intellectually stimulating that repeating material you’ve already seen. And since they are not weed out and curved more generously there’s actually a smaller chance of getting your grade screwed over.</p>
<p>And for you premeds with AP science credit, I highly suggest using it, especially the chem and bio. Use the chem to take orgo your freshmen year and the bio to take something else first semester and just take bio 142 second semester. If you use physics you’d need to take something like modern physics (PHYS 253) or analytical mechanics (PHYS 361), but since med schools are less into your physics course it’s not as necessary. But just make sure that for every semester to you skip with AP, you need one semester of an upper level in that subject area.</p>
<p>d) If you have more credit hours than your classmates, you’ll have earlier registration times than they do. This will be a huge advantage for your freshmen and sophomore years when you often can’t get all the classes you want without having to go through add/drop/swap.</p>
<p>Has anyone specifically had experience with the Arabic classes? I noticed that the majority of the teachers are not native speakers, and I’ve heard that even though Arabic is in high demand, the textbooks at college level are not that good.</p>
<p>Collegestu: The credit hour advantage has diminished and is almost non-existent for freshman (they were not allowed to apply AP credits to either semester’s registration time). A person who takes a higher than normal courseload can catch up to someone with lots of AP credit but takes only about 3 classes and a lab (not literally, but to the point where they end up with the same class standing). Also, while fullfilling GERs sounds appealing. Students honestly should be taking plenty of classes outside of our primary major to get the full experience of this “liberal arts research institution”. Unless one intends to graduate early, skipping GERs hardly affords much of an advantage (especially if it’s used to skip history or political science or any humanities, which are taught in often a much more interesting way here than in HS, provided you do not get a bad professor). Major requirements for most depts at Emory are not really that stringent as of now (which is actually why some social science and humanities depts. seem to have been moving toward increasing requirements and even requiring or strongly encouraging concentrations or joint majors), so the small amount of GER credit you miss out on is not really that big of a deal. Now for those going into SS and humanities, but would like to avoid sciences at a top research institution at all cost, they may have a use for them. I would imagine pre-bus. people have legit use for it too as econ. and math credits can help one escape the “you’re wasting my time” intros. offered in the Emory econ. and math dept. and move on to the other b-school pre-reqs. But I know the history and polisci dept. have basically made it quite hard to apply credit to their majors, or they at least make it so that AP credit will not lessen the amount of coursework done in the major, same with psychology.</p>
<p>I’ll try to argue this. But as I write, I feel like I agree with you more than I did before.</p>
<p>a) Fulfilling GERs in areas you won’t be majoring, and getting more credits toward graduation. That way you can start by taking classes you actually need or are interested in.</p>
<p>-----I feel like GERs are so easy to fulfill that taking AP classes is not that helpful. It’s part of the liberal arts education anyway in my opinion.</p>
<p>b) Since you have more credits and more GERs out of the way, you may be able to graduate a year earlier, shaving off time needed to get your degree and saving tuition money. </p>
<p>-----I don’t know how many people actually do this. But I feel that most people don’t. However, this is a valid point for the few people it affects. </p>
<p>c) You can use it place out of intro classes in the areas you are majoring in or otherwise need for a preprof requirement. The 100 level classes are often weedout (such as Gen Chem or Gen Bio for you premeds) and are filled with disinterested students who didn’t have the AP credit and thus are stuck in the class. Taking upper level classes right away in the subject area in which you have AP puts you with people who are generally more interested and motivated, not to mention those classes are much more intellectually stimulating that repeating material you’ve already seen. And since they are not weed out and curved more generously there’s actually a smaller chance of getting your grade screwed over.</p>
<p>And for you premeds with AP science credit, I highly suggest using it, especially the chem and bio. Use the chem to take orgo your freshmen year and the bio to take something else first semester and just take bio 142 second semester. If you use physics you’d need to take something like modern physics (PHYS 253) or analytical mechanics (PHYS 361), but since med schools are less into your physics course it’s not as necessary. But just make sure that for every semester to you skip with AP, you need one semester of an upper level in that subject area.</p>
<p>------As far as I know, you can take the upper level class anyway. I’m not a science major so maybe it’s different for you guys. But I didn’t have AP Math credit and I still wouldve had no problem jumping in Calc2/3 if I had wanted. For science, IDK. You dont get credit for the class if you dont take AP test, but I was under teh impression you can take the upper level classes anyway.</p>
<p>d) If you have more credit hours than your classmates, you’ll have earlier registration times than they do. This will be a huge advantage for your freshmen and sophomore years when you often can’t get all the classes you want without having to go through add/drop/swap.</p>
<p>-----I’ve always gotten what I wanted (probably becasue of my math major, again). I honestly don’t think taking registration is that big of a deal. Overloading/Add drop swap/etc made it pretty easy to get into classes for me.</p>
<p>So Ill amend my statement to “AP scores are overrated. But still can be useful”</p>
<p>Edit: Reading through Bernie’s post, yea pre business might have an advantage for math/econ credit. But IDK I feel like business degrees should ahev a strong math background anyway so youll end up taking upper level math no matter what and dont need AP credit for that.</p>
<p>You have to take calc. 1 and 2 (or have AB/BC credit) to take calc. 3 aluminum because Emory doesn’t have a freaking placement test (as they should, because calc. 1/2 are a HUGE waste of time for most people and are honestly looked at as a free A). However, in all honesty, you know the business majors would not want to take calc. 3. Most will do just the minimum to gain admission to the b-school, so they aren’t going near advanced math or advanced (higher than intermediate) economics. Pre-bus people w/AP credit can get away with a very light courseload before enrolling in the B-school and I honestly think the b-school should require more econ. or math coursework just to see if they can handle a real challenge (or the b-school can implement a suite of rigorous pre-bus seminars that all those entering the B-school are “strongly recommended” to take where they use rigorous mathematics and do intensive projects or writing; You know, something to the make the first 2-years more rigorous and unique for pre-bus students. Furthermore, a students willingness to take such a course and then perform decently, should gain them favor in admissions). I mean, there is a reason every B-school incoming class has an average of 3.5 from the college. It’s because the pre-req coursework is not challenging at all to them. But anyway, for other depts. you don’t need the intro/AP coursework to advance, but for science you do. And to counter Collegestu’s point about the sciences: Let’s be honest, you have the phmo telling students to not use their AP and just start over, essentially encouraging incoming stronger than normal students to take an average route and thus become average. The number of freshman last year forgoing chemistry AP credit was ridiculous and the only reason people skip biology is because they are biology majors or some other major that will get them an upperlevel “bio-type” class with a lab. Given how gullible a lot of the pre-meds here are, the science and math AP credits might as well be useless to them. If I were pre-health mentoring, I would fix this as soon as possible so that stronger students will take tracks that stand out when it comes time to apply. Not only that, but these students are also more likely to get a better Emory educational experience because they took a slightly different path.</p>
<p>Are you positive? I know it says that, but do you really think they will keep my degree becasue I never took Calc1 and just went straight to calc 2 and then finished my math major? Because I doubt that personally.</p>
<p>[Math/CS</a> - Mathematics BA, BS, Applied Mathematics BS](<a href=“Department of MATH - Undergraduate Programs”>Department of MATH - Undergraduate Programs)</p>
<p>Calc 1 and 2 arent even listed for the major. So if I signed up for calc 3 without taking AP credit and without taking the classes, I doubt theyd stop me. Those two classes were a huge waste of time for me and I honestly wish I hadnt taken them. And I had a fairly hard teacher (comparatively).</p>
<p>Did you come in with any sort of college credit like joint enrollment aluminum because I thought that classes with pre-reqs block enrollment to the next part of the series if the first had not been fulfilled. Either way, science courses definitely require the first part of the series or AP credit.</p>
<p>No. I hadn’t.</p>
<p>aluminum: Make sure to clarify with your advisor because I think you were supposed to. However, you are doing well in the major (the higher level courses) so they should make an exception. If they give you trouble around degree audit time. Simply argue that you should graduate on the grounds that you proved yourself to be capable of handling much more than Calc. 1. Not only this, but upperlevels assume a working knowledge of it. They will likely not interfere with your graduation.</p>
<p>I highly recommend continuing in French instead of starting a new language. Starting at the beginning is extremely time-consuming and involves a lot of memorization, which does not really fit in a college schedule very well, and it is very unlikely that you well get to a high enough level so that you will be able to use the language, so you will most likely forget a lot of it after college. If you continue in French, there are some really, really good professors at Emory, and you can fulfill WR requirements with some courses, and it’s a lot of paper-writing instead of just memorization and practice. You might not be sure if you like French, but you might really like certain courses in French.</p>