It's probably good to keep a wide range of options. At your age, I was determined to be a physicist, and it darn near led me to disaster when my maths just weren't up to it.
There are actually a lot of options for language classes where you are. In addition to the usual "go to a university and take a class" route, there are various other options. For French, the Alliance Française Chapter in Boston (http://www.afboston.org/) has classes: they are a bit pricey for a college student's budget, but way cheaper than most college courses. The Harvard Extension school has Japanese classes (http://www.extension.harvard.edu/2008-09/courses/japa.jsp), although those are a bit pricey.
Interest in Canada is a very good thing-all too many of us Americans are utter ignoramuses about the country. If you've got the time, Robertson Davies' various novels and essays are probably a good introduction, even though he comes from a certain perspective which probably doesn't represent modern Canada too well. (Start with Fifth Business (http://www.amazon.com/Business-Deptford-Trilogy-Robertson-Davies/dp/0140167943), then finish the other two books in the Deptford Trilogy. After that, go for Murther and Walking Spirits (http://www.amazon.com/Murther-Walking-Spirits-Robertson-Davies/dp/0140168842/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238330395&sr=1-1), followed by the Cunning Man (http://www.amazon.com/Cunning-Man-Robertson-Davies/dp/0140248307/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238330470&sr=1-1): those are the two books of the unfinished Toronto Trilogy. Davies wrote two other trilogies, but the second is a reworking of the plot of the first, and with the exception of What's Bred in the Bone (http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Bred-Bone-Robertson-Davies/dp/0140117938/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238330568&sr=1-1), they aren't up to the quality Davies usually showed. What's Bred in the Bone, though, can be read on its own, and is a very interesting look at Canada's transformation from a rural country to a modern, urban one.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-03-29 12:47 pm (UTC)There are actually a lot of options for language classes where you are. In addition to the usual "go to a university and take a class" route, there are various other options. For French, the Alliance Française Chapter in Boston (http://www.afboston.org/) has classes: they are a bit pricey for a college student's budget, but way cheaper than most college courses. The Harvard Extension school has Japanese classes (http://www.extension.harvard.edu/2008-09/courses/japa.jsp), although those are a bit pricey.
Interest in Canada is a very good thing-all too many of us Americans are utter ignoramuses about the country. If you've got the time, Robertson Davies' various novels and essays are probably a good introduction, even though he comes from a certain perspective which probably doesn't represent modern Canada too well. (Start with Fifth Business (http://www.amazon.com/Business-Deptford-Trilogy-Robertson-Davies/dp/0140167943), then finish the other two books in the Deptford Trilogy. After that, go for Murther and Walking Spirits (http://www.amazon.com/Murther-Walking-Spirits-Robertson-Davies/dp/0140168842/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238330395&sr=1-1), followed by the Cunning Man (http://www.amazon.com/Cunning-Man-Robertson-Davies/dp/0140248307/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238330470&sr=1-1): those are the two books of the unfinished Toronto Trilogy. Davies wrote two other trilogies, but the second is a reworking of the plot of the first, and with the exception of What's Bred in the Bone (http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Bred-Bone-Robertson-Davies/dp/0140117938/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238330568&sr=1-1), they aren't up to the quality Davies usually showed. What's Bred in the Bone, though, can be read on its own, and is a very interesting look at Canada's transformation from a rural country to a modern, urban one.