Taking Russian classes in college

[arian-archer.livejournal.com]

I studied Russian for 5 and a half years between middle school and high school so I would say I am relatively adept at the language (Not fluent mind you, but I know enough to get around). It's been about three years since I took my last Russian class, the college that I attended from 2003-2005 didn't offer any classes in Russian and now that I am going to a school (as a non-degree student so prerequisites aren't necessarily a factor) that does I'm wondering how advanced a course I should be taking. I still remember a lot of the fundamentals, verb conjugation and most of the cases, so should I go for the easy A and take a relatively beginning class to refresh or throw myself back into the language full force and take a class that's probably closer to where I left off after high school?

Comments

[beltspinner.livejournal.com]

I know my school has language placement tests that are required in some language departments (such as Spanish) and just available for people just like you in smaller departments (such as Russian). Contact your advisor and see if your school has one of these tests for Russian. Otherwise, try arranging a meeting with a department head of the russian department.

[idealforcolors.livejournal.com]

throw yourself in full force! it sounds like you're pretty advanced, but it might be better to take the hardest grammar class than the easiest literature class, just to strengthen your foundations and rebuild a vocabulary. definitely talk to a professor in the department (or ta, if it's a big school and professors are hard to access). you'll get the absolute best advice from there.

[padruka1988.livejournal.com]

Well, you know how well you speak Russian and what you're able to handle. I think taking an "easy A" class is unacceptable and even dishonest, but that's just me. I would probably do all the 'refreshing' I need by looking at your old Russian textbooks if you have them... Or just reading some Russian materials online. But I strongly suggest, if they have them, that you take a proficiency test and ask the instructors of different levels what content will be covered. If it's anything like my school, the syllabus will have been written a long time ago and doesn't change very much.

this probably isn't very helpful, but...

[fiachasorcha.livejournal.com]

I would suggest talking to whoever teaches Russian and getting their advice. I've been in classes where there was one person who had taken russian before, and it's very difficult for the rest of us to keep up, and not really fair to anyone. On the other hand, if you have holes in your knowledge, it's smarter to start lower rather than continue to have those holes.

A lot depends on how good the program is though. At my university we move quickly, much quicker than any other program I know of. So you would be in a lower level than at a schol that moved slower.