<p>Hello everyone,</p>
<p>I'm currently in a tough position. My dilemma is this: should I continue studying Spanish even though I've already fulfilled the foreign language IGETC requirement?</p>
<p>I currently have 30 UC-transferable semester units completed; this will increase to 42 units in a few weeks. I will be sending out applications to UCs in the fall for Fall 2015 admission (the only IGETC requirement I need after this semester is physical science & lab). I'm currently sitting at a 3.87 GPA (which may drop to 3.83 in a few weeks). My major is history. What makes my dilemma all the more frustrating is the prospect of graduate school. I am aware that most history graduate programs require you to at least be able to read in a foreign language. </p>
<p>Would it be in my best interest to cover my bases and continue taking Spanish classes? There is also another aspect to the matter: I don't find Spanish particularly enjoyable. I've been pondering the notion of starting over with a new language (keep in mind I've only taken one Spanish course, so it's not as if I'm already deeply entrenched in the language). </p>
<p>Some possibilities I've been mulling over are:
1. Continue taking Spanish
3. Take a different language
3. Take Spanish or a different language on a pass/no pass basis
4. Don't take any language and just finish up accumulating units</p>
<p>The last thing I'd like to do is possibly endanger myself, so to speak, in the home stretch of my stay at community college. I got an A in my first Spanish course, but that really doesn't mean much. My aim is squarely on UCB & UCLA; I want to be as competitive as I can from a quantitative standpoint. This is why I've considered pass/no pass as an option (I haven't taken any classes on this basis thus far).</p>
<p>Ultimately, I know this is a decision I'll have to make for myself. I would greatly appreciate any insight that you may have to offer, though. Perhaps you will provide me with an angle I have not yet explored. I apologize if this post seemed to be all over the place; I've been thinking about this constantly and it's just been driving me crazy!</p>
<p>Thank you for your time.</p>
<p>I was going to since by 2020, 70% of the population in Southern California will be latinos/hispanics. I’m pretty sure it is around 70%, but my point is that knowing Spanish is a must nowadays.</p>
<p>I suck at Spanish, so I decided to forgo taking Spanish classes at the UC lvl since I don’t want it to affect my GPA. I’ll probably take it at a community college once I graduate w/ a pass/no pass option.</p>
<p>The College of Letters and Science at UCLA has a foreign language graduation requirement, so you’ll have to take a language class either way. So why not make it Spanish since you already got one course out of the way.
And if you don’t enjoy Spanish and decide to start a new language, you can discard Italian, Portuguese, French and any other Romance language since they are very similar. You’d probably be looking at something like German which shares a lot in common with English or something like Russian, Chinese or Japanese, in which you’d have to start off by learning a whole new set of symbols to write and read which I don’t think you’d enjoy.</p>
<p>@RamonaFalls - Do we have to take a foreign language if we have a foreign language on our IGETC Certification?? </p>
<p>Most graduate history programs require reading proficiency in two or more foreign languages, so depending upon your area of interest, you could look to switch.</p>
<p>@BurntCorpse I agree with you that knowledge of Spanish is becoming more crucial for Americans, particularly those of us whom reside in California. In addition, I’ve strongly considered becoming a teacher, which would amplify its importance. You actually hit on a point that is another concern of mine: taking foreign language classes at the UC level. From what I’ve gathered, foreign languages have the perception of being “GPA killers”. Whether or not this is a legitimate concern, I don’t know. It’s not that I wish to avoid a challenge, it’s just that I don’t know why I should take one on when it may negatively affect me (GPA-wise) rather than later when it wouldn’t matter. Like you plan on doing, I have been thinking about postponing my language-learning until after I graduate. </p>
<p>@RamonaFalls The foreign language graduation requirement used to be a concern of mine, but this thread gave me reassurance that IGETC would be sufficient: <a href=“UCLA: Foreign Language Requirements Beyond IGETC - UC Transfers - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/938140-ucla-foreign-language-requirements-beyond-igetc.html</a></p>
<p>Then again, no excerpt was provided in that case, so there is no official confirmation; just this: “I just got a reply from UCLA and having full IGETC certification is sufficient for meeting the foreign language requirement at UCLA.”.</p>
<p>@skieurope Thank you for that information. I will look into that. </p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies. I know learning a foreign language is no easy task and that I should pursue one that I can enjoy. Perhaps I will come to enjoy Spanish if I continue with it. I am a quarter Spanish and actually have relatives in Spain who would love for me to go over there, so perhaps that can serve as the effective motivation I need to learn the language. I suppose the real question is whether to continue taking Spanish now, or after graduation. As I mentioned previously, I have not thus far taken any classes on a pass/no pass basis. I believe UCs allow you to fulfill up to 14 UC-transferable units in this manner? Would it be wise to do this, especially since I took a semester off (this semester) from Spanish? Again, thank you all for your insight.</p>