In 5 months I will start my college career and I have a few specific questions but I would be more than happy to receive any advice in general.

I'm going to a uni with only 8 majors and there isn't anything Asian on the plate -- which will give me the opportunity to trail blaze with a club or something I guess. I am thinking of doing a major in classics (Latin and Greek study) with a minor in music. These four years are for a strong broad education so I think I will take things that I will bring with me for the rest of my life. They also have an economics and a business major but I honestly don't feel the calling for it. I do plan on some graduate studying for creation for FL teaching. (I want to be a teacher.) They don't have any clubs specific to Asian culture or language and since I was to continue teaching/tutoring FL for experience I am going to start a club early on.

What are some simple ways to timebox/save time?

What are some of your study tips? (like for example I am definitely going to use Anki for my review in other subjects.)

How can I create a FL environment in a double-dorm? I don't want to freak anyone out.

How can I create a Asian Language/Culture club that is welcoming and totally not nerdy?

Where do you like to study?

Thank you for reading this.
牛juice

8 majors?? Is there a school of education? I'm not really sure how majoring in classics would help become a FL teacher...

Study tips...Do stuff on time! I'm taking higher level classes now, and this is starting to become a problem. It's not so bad early-on though. Just get in good habits.
Find a good place to do it. Environment determines a lot -- so go to the library if that's where you're most productive. I know that I tend to be super unproductive if I just stay home (right now... orz )

FL environment in double dorm -- Depends on how you and your roommate get along. I would always do things with headphones on, FL or not. I kept my things to myself, and he kept to his, no big deal.

Asian Language/Culture club -- in my experience, will have a high chance of being nerdy, but also relatively welcoming. If you could find some way to weed out the people who are just there to talk about the new episode of Naruto, that'd be good (nothing wrong with Naruto or talking about it...but you know what I mean). Our conversation table has a 'rule' that you have to have taken 4 semesters of Japanese to attend. Only the cool people are still around B) But it's also because with less than that you probably won't be able to converse very well. Get some international students involved too.

There's a lot of stuff that I wish I knew when I was your age what I know now...but I'm sure that a lot of it is stuff that you have to learn for yourself, and is probably specifically tailored to me...

Major in general studies, then you will have time to study whatever you want on the side. Take your piece of paper that says you graduated from somewhere and did something and go teach english. Thats what i'm about to do once I finish this summer.

Make sure you save all your papers because you will be recycling them over and over again especially in business courses. Saves time when in every business class you have to pick a company and write a report over different aspects.

Thanks guys,

About 90% of students go on to graduate school. This school has harsh academics but majoring in Japanese or Chinese in a 4-year college has not been recommended by any FL teacher that I know. They tell me to get a degree in liberal arts and then do whatever you need in edu/FL later on. Actually, I was considering teaching English in Taiwan or Thailand. (Sorry Japan but your TEFL program sucks.) That looks better anyways.

"Thats what i'm about to do once I finish this summer."
Good for you, will you write about it here or on a personal blog? I would like to hear how it goes. 頑張ってください！

"Make sure you save all your papers"
Solid advice. Thank you.

"Just get in good habits"
Right, I am going to have make a checklist for improvements.

Oh, that's good but I was more on the lines of doing AJATT without people thinking your'e a freak of nature. But that helps.

"Our conversation table has a 'rule' that you have to have taken 4 semesters of Japanese to attend."
Huh, that's a good idea. I obviously can't make a rule on classes because they aren't offered but that is a good idea.

Thank you everyone for your input -- this is why I love this community so much!

gyuujuice Wrote:How can I create a FL environment in a double-dorm? I don't want to freak anyone out.

it depends what kind of FL environment you want... you don't need to be excessive, i guess, you'll have all your books, and computer with you anyway right? Aside from that, if it's a Japanese environment you want you could just get some elegant simple stuff from somewhere like muji... nobody will even know, they'll just think it's your taste.
But, if you want to be excessive or anything, as long as you get to know your roommate first, it should be ok i think. Once you're already friends, i'm sure they'll work out your a language nut anyway so it'll be fine

gyuujuice Wrote:How can I create a Asian Language/Culture club that is welcoming and totally not nerdy?

Be a dictator to start with and choose cool films to watch, or something else non-nerdy. Also... will there be any Japanese students in your university? If so, making a club that might appeal to them would be really cool. Which means, i guess, no overly Japanese stuff like tea parties or 書道, just a place where they can speak in Japanese sometimes, watch films, etc, would be good, i think...

i used to study in coffee shops best, with a window seat so i could sit and think. Quiet places are just too boring. But, it really depends what you're studying, because i wouldn't think of sitting in a coffee shop & trying to read a heavy book in Japanese...

Ah, leave it to Icecream to give great advice.

I think I will only have two posters up (1 being the kanji one) so not so overboard but I will get to know my roomy early.

Be a dictator? Got it. We do have some Asians but not a whole lot from Japan -- mainly Vietnam but some from Korea. I wasn't planning on a tea party -- haha but I will make it less "Japanesey" and more varied and global I guess.

I will try to make some other events or places other than the 'room'. We have a lot of space on campus as we are a very small student body with a very large school. Thank you for your advice. I will try to implement as much as I can.