<p>Academics in general is fine. I am a senior and I’m extremely frustrated with Bryn Mawr Russian Flagship program. I’m taking RUSS 390 and the class is not what I expected. They told me it’s going to prepare me for life and work in Russia, but it’s just a very monotonous literature class. I don’t understand why it’s called Pre-Professionals: we don’t discuss current events, Russian news, what Russians think about different issues, we don’t talk about politics or culture. I stayed in the class because I didn’t have a choice. It’s not preparing me for next year in St. Petersburg at all. Working with the tutor was helpful, I enjoyed it. Other than that not so good. Anybody having similar experiences with Language Flagship classes? We have just one class for seniors and it’s a sleeper literature class. Arabic? Chinese? Portland?</p>
<p>No class will prepare you adequately for living and working in a foreign country. It’s like trying to get a taste for swimming in the ocean by swimming in someone’s backyard pool.</p>
<p>If you want to “discuss current events, Russian news, what Russians think about different issues, we don’t talk about politics or culture,” you have plenty of good options available to you. Go to Russian news sites, Russian blogs, find the local cable channel that features NTV (“HTB” po-russkii). There’s absolutely no excuse, in this digital age, for not exploring Russian-language media of all sorts.</p>
<p>But what the internet and cable, etc. cannot provide is exactly what Bryn Mawr is providing you, and what you will in all likelihood never again in your life have the chance to avail yourself of: a deep and serious engagement with the best that’s been thought and said in Russian. Cherish it. Make the most of it while you can.</p>
<p>PS You should know that Russia is a very traditional, culturally conservative nation and that educated Russians pay extremely close attention to how cultivated you are, ie the depth of your education and the quality of your Russian. Their opinion of Americans is schizophrenic: awe at our power and wealth, and scorn at our relatively low level of cultural attainment. </p>
<p>Your Bryan Mawr grounding in Russian lit and the finer points of Russian grammar will stand you in very good stead in Russia. You don’t know how lucky you are.</p>
<p>I was searching Flagship programs in the US and came actoss this post. My friend is an Arabic Flagship student in the UM. They are doing Media Arabic, courses in politics of the Arab world, Business Arabic. They do study academic Arabic too and I think, advanced composition. Literature Flagship is good, but if this is all you do, it won’t give you insights into the contemporary Russian culture or Russian workplace culture. What can I say - bring a pillow to that class.</p>