Many high schools now require their students to take a certain number of language classes before they graduate. And while you may think that this is pretty useless and that you’ll never need to actually speak that language (which may be true), there’s something important to keep in mind—that you’ll almost certainly have to take several language classes in college as well. So don’t forget all of the Spanish—or French, German, Russian, or whatever—that you learned in high school, because you may need it sooner than you think!

A common language requirement in many colleges is three semesters’ worth. This is usually equal to an intermediate level of the language that you choose. Some schools require more, and some less, but three semesters is pretty common. So know in advance that you’ll be taking these classes—and keep paying attention in your high school language classes!

One of the best reasons to retain as much language knowledge as possible is because you’ll probably be taking a language placement test (see here for an example), and the more you remember and better you do on the test, the more likely you are to be able to skip a level or two. You can save a lot of time, money, and academic energy if you’re able to pass out of at least one level of a foreign language. If your first language is one other than English (or you are bilingual), you should be able to pass right out of the requirements, and then you’ll really save yourself some time!

A great way to study language in college is by studying abroad. If you’re studying Spanish, spend some time in Spain or the Caribbean. French, German, Italian, and other common languages allow you to go to several locations in Europe, as they are pretty widespread. Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, and other less common language also provide great opportunities to travel abroad. No matter what you’re studying, it’s worth looking into a J-term (or a semester, if you’re feeling adventurous) abroad to improve your skills.

Many people think that learning another language is far beyond their academic capability—and I’ll be honest, it’s not easy. But if you put some effort into it, and really try, you’ll find success. It’s important to stay positive; it can be easy to get frustrated when you can’t remember the correct verb conjugations, or you forget some set of vocabulary. And sometimes, it seems like learning a language is a long sequence of rote memorizations. But if you apply yourself, you’ll find that you’re learning more than just how to translate from one language to another, but to actually speak it.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or funny stories you'd like me to share about college or the blog, email me at stu@stuvu.com