<p>while i regard this as a bitter post do to recent events in my academic life here at the university, i cannot help but just direly recommend that you study your ass off in high school for either the ap language test or the satII language test.</p>
<p>incase you don't know you are required to take 4 semesters of a language at uva, 101-202. I, like many other people, am retarded when it comes to foreign languages. I started out in 101, and now am about to finish up 202. With the exception of 101, I've never gotten higher than a "c" in any of these language classes. While most of you can just go and say I'm lazy and didn't try, fine do it. I will admit I havn't killed myself in the class, but i get my work done. I just feel its unreasonable to have a class where every day there is something due - and if you miss the class you can't make it up or hand it in early - because you never know whats technically due. I'm sick of missing 1 day - informing the teacher over a MONTH in advance that i was going to miss that day - and to come back and find out that i missed a quiz, a homework check, and the handing in of a lab.</p>
<p>These classes are honestly taught like a freshman year in high school class. Homework every night out of a workbook, hypocritical teachers, unreasonable attendence policies, pop quizzes, random work checks - all lead me to believe that the basic language track at UVa is absurd. Please don't feel like I'm sounding lazy - its just that NO OTHER classes are taught like this. I've taken calc 131 and 132 here. I have no problem doing problem sets with set due dates - or doing online webwork. I have no problem getting told "read this, the paper is due this day, the midterm is this day, and the final is this day." But honestly, this everyday nicknack **** is just unbarable.</p>
<p>Do yourselves all a favor - get out of it while you can.</p>
<p>What language? Do you know if the Echols people are exempt from that requirement?</p>
<p>Yes, Echols are exempt from all area requirements.</p>
<p>Wassup Jags? You seem kind of blue.</p>
<p>do echols still need to take the foreign language exam online before orientation? (spanish)</p>
<p>Hmmm...if I remember correctly, I don't think so...since you're exempt. I would check w/ Admissions just to be sure that hasn't changed.</p>
<p>Jags, well at least you're done w/ foreign languages. No need to worry about that anymore...and summer vacation's around the corner. Woohoo! (I miss having 3 months off.)</p>
<p>Summer vacation? Some of us still don't know what we're doing this summer. If only I could find a j-o-b!</p>
<p>You don't have to take the placement exam if you're in echols; however, there may be advantages. For instance, if you want to take some foreign literature course or the like, intro language classes for that language may be pre-reqs, so you may being forced to take a placement exam if you want to enroll in such a class. On the other side of the coin, I believe if you take a placement exam, they will not let you take anything you placed out of.</p>
<p>Cavalier302,</p>
<p>You're finishing your first year, right? What are you planning to major in? How about doing an internship in your field of interest? You should check out the Career Services office.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.career.virginia.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.career.virginia.edu/</a></p>
<p>I've perused hoostrak to no avail. I'm finishing up my first year and I plan on double majoring in econ and something else. I don't know what I want to do after graduation.</p>
<p>How'd you get involved in your field? Your job sounds interesting.</p>
<p>Yeah, you can say that my field is interesting. There are a number of internships in television and the entertainment field in general. Where are you from? The DC area? You can contact PBS, Discovery, The Travel Channel, and National Geographic. They're all located in the DC/Maryland area. It might be too late to try to get an internship at those places since people usually apply at the beginning of Spring semester, but you never know. </p>
<p>How I got into it was a fluke. I attended a student conference at W&M, and next door was a job fair. I just walked in and talked to an HR person at my soon-to-be company, and when I was in NY interning at the UN, I met up w/ her again and got hired to be a summer associate. It's like an internship but you get paid, get college credit, and even have the cost of living in NY covered. (I feel kind of bad that she was recruiting at W&M and ended up hiring a UVa person. Ha!)</p>
<p>ok do i need to take the placement exam for a language...i read somewhere on the site that if you have 2 years of spanish in HS, you are automatically placed in a course</p>
<p>I for one find my French language classes to be the easiest at UVA, since they don't make you memorize vocab.</p>
<p>Beware if taking 101 classes. They are NOT easy at all since you are assigned HW like every day. And some of the TAs are not that great either, so pick wisely. </p>
<p>Most classes - if not all - in the language department are not curved.</p>
<p>My daughter will be attending in the Fall and took the placement exam for Spanish. Somehow (she doesn't know how, because she wasn't that good in Spanish, and says she doesn't know anything) she placed into 202 which means she would only need 1 semester of Spanish I guess. The problem is she is scared to death to start in a 202 class since she says she really doesn't know spanish very well. She didn't take Spanish at all this senior year. Is there a particular teacher that is better? Is there a teacher to avoid? Should she take it at a community college in the summer where it might be easier? Can you do that?</p>
<p>Jags, what language are u taking?</p>
<p>By the way, did anyone fill out the "New Student form" online on the Arts and sciences website. Its required for your first year advisor. It asks you for your interests, weakness/strengths, stats, info. I dont know if its too early to fill it out. Plus did anyone get their MyUVa Book in the mail? I know the new 2006 version just came out online recently.</p>
<p>then she should just do 201!</p>
<p>jmlbrads,</p>
<p>she should talk to someone high up in the Spanish department, and as for professors, she can probably check out <a href="http://www.ratemyprofessors.com%5B/url%5D">www.ratemyprofessors.com</a> and read some reviews. Check through the course list to see who is teaching the classes.</p>
<p>jmlbrads,
I am taking SPAN 202 currently. Honestly it is not all that difficult. All the language requirement spanish classes are taught by grad students so it is really hit or miss. However all classes take the same tests so it isn't as though you'd get hurt by having a teacher who gives extra hard tests or something.</p>
<p>oh man, my french exam is tomorrow! lol, sort of ironic that i see all this now. hmm...</p>