Is a foreign language requried for engineering at Michigan?
For those of you who graduated from Michigan, is a foreign language required for for any of the engineering majors? I'm currently in Spanish II part1 in high school, but I want to know if I need it because I can't fucking stand my teacher. Biggest bitch ever. I don't even learn anything in that class. I'm currently getting a high B but I'm not sure if I'm going to get an A on my 200 question exam tomorrow. I want to know if it's required, so in case it isn't, I can switch out of Spanish II part2 and take a gym class or something and switch out of spanish III next year.
no
edit: Unless you're CS-LSA.
Is CS-LSA even an option anymore? I thought they got rid of that option back in 2002 or so
It is...my ex gf's bf just did it
March 15th, 2010 at 10:09 PM ^
still an option.
They offer a test during your orientation for foreign language, and if you're planning on doing engineering (and committed to not quitting), you can just skip it. Well, unless you want a minor in foreign language.
Whatever you test into, you're supposed to go straight into that, so keep that in mind when you take the science/math portions as well. It may be worth your while to take Calculus I again just as a foundation/grade booster.
EDIT: Or at least that was the case in 2004.
March 15th, 2010 at 11:49 PM ^
I don't know if it's the same as when I arrived ('97), but you probably still want to take the test even if you have no plans of taking any language courses.
I took Freshman and Soph years of spanish during high school, took the placement exam at UM during orientation and tested out of 3 semesters worth of spanish. Even better, I got credit for all of those. 12 credits, completely free, for one little hour long test. Even if you only pass out of one semester that's four free credits you shouldn't pass up.
EDIT -someone explained it below. Guess now you can only get up to 8 credits.
but as an engineering student, you will have to take courses far more difficult than high school spanish.
With no partial credit for passing out before answering the last question. At least, that's how it was when I got my BSE. They might have relaxed the standards a bit since then.
If you are in the college of Engineering then you are not required to take a foreign language... unless you are planning on doing the Engineering Global Leadership track (an honor group sort of thing) in which case you will have to take some foreign language classes.
HOWEVER, if you take the placement test and place into an upper level language class, you AUTOMATICALLY receive general credit for the language classes you skip over (4 credits per class and up to a total of 8 credits). So it is definitely in your best interest to do well on the placement test. This is different that LSA students who must take the class they skipped into, in order to receive the credit for the classes they skipped over.
Moral of the story... it helps to somewhat know a language.
I thought you only got the credit if you took the class you'd be placed into. So if you take nothing, you get nothing. If you place into Spanish 3 and take it, you'd get credits for 1 and 2. Perhaps not.
I placed into Spanish 3 and got 8 credits without ever taking a Spanish class at Michigan.
Problem is, you only have like 12 free credits to begin with, so if you use them you can't take any elective classes you might have wanted to.
If you place into Spanish III, the engineering school grants you 8 credits (and like 2,000 MGoPoints).
HOWEVA... If you transfer out to LS&A (as I did), you lose those credits.
HOWEVA II... If you then take and pass Spanish III, you get the 8 credits back, in addition to the credit for Spanish III.
You got 2000 mgopoints from engineering? That's not fair, I was only awarded 25.
That's all you got? Remind me not to cross any of your bridges.
This was my experience (had to take 3 to get credit for 1 and 2... essentially a 12 credit class). I graduated in 2004. Unless my adviser was wrong, that's how it was back then.
No you don't but it probably looks good on your application anyways. I took 2 years of spanish, hated but did it anyways.
...what is relevant is what is required for you to graduate from high school and what effect your disinterest in Spanish will have on your GPA and your ability to get accepted at Michigan.
Study hard, mi amigo.
for example, a "fast Fourier transform" is not when they bring Denard Robinson in.
In the office right now, preparing a patent application. During one of my countless daily visits to mgoblog, I happened upon this thread, skimmed through, read your post clueless as to your technical reference. Seconds later, while reviewing said application, I come across "...may be performed using fast Fourier transformation." What a strange coincidence.
The application isn't referring to bringing Denard Robinson in
absolutely and unequivocally not required.
Unless you consider C++ a foreign language...
that was the reason given to eliminate a language requirement back in the day.
You sound like a tremendous slacker. UofM often frowns upon this.
i'm reading this in the middle of my 3 hour class on museum ethics. i have taken 2 lines of notes. does this mean i'm a slacker or do i just have my priorities mixed up?
No, you are not a slacker and you do not have your priorities mixed up...you are in museum ethics class. Place pen firmly into your eye.
I took business ethics ~ Ken Lay
I'm not a slacker man, I really don't learn anything in that class. It would go under the category of these:
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/ot-most-boring-class-michigan
She went on a tantrum today when a kid went up to sharpen his pencil. She said that we're not allowed to sharpen our pencil from now on, we have to use a pen or mechanical pencil and if we don't we get a penalty hall(detention). She pretty much pushes be to my last nerve.
construction of a spit wad.
You and the pencil kid can fire simultaneously from different tangents.
Kids these days - don't you learn ANYTHING in school?
I like what I'm hearing...
Not necessary, but the ability to understand a foreign language will help a ton when it comes to understanding engineering and math classes. Or at least know that R's are actually L's
If it's anything like most other engineering schools (I didn't go to UM undergrad) you should probably have a working understanding of Mandarin and Cantonese so that you can actually communicate with some of the TAs.
You may want to check out Adam Sandlers "Severe beating of a high school spanish teacher" it might make you happy. I would link it if I wasn't at work.
But, I would suggest you stick it out. If you go into Engineering, you will more then likely run into a prof or two that will make you wish you were back in H.S. spanish class....
Trust me, in college and in the business world, you will be forced to work with jerks, all the time.... And running away everytime, will NOT be an option....
This is a tough lesson to learn, but an important one for your future happiness and sanity. Don't let another persons dickheadedness cause you one second of heartache. Do your best, smile and F'em if they can't take a joke. If she is hot, picture her naked when she is giving you grief.....
JD - BS Eng UofM 1990...
You have to complete a "sequence" in non-math, science or engineering classes - meaning reach a 300 level class. A lot of my friends did Psych 111, 211, 311 and were done. I did HJCS (Hebrew) because I passed straight into the 300 level, and got credit (non-retroactive) for the test, similar to what people have already posted. It's great that for the engineers the language credit is just given to you, and not retroactive.
That said, the language really freed up my schedule in terms of the sequence and was a great way to do it.
Required? No
Helpful? was for me
The sequence is no longer required, you just need a random 300+ level class and enough credits. They don't have to be in the same department.
wow, must have just changed, I graduated in May 09.
Or i never understood how it worked... meh, i graduated
But it's something worth doing anyway. It's a good way to generally improve your communications skills as we don't really think about grammar in our native language that much. Made me a better writer (yeah, you're planning on engineering, I'm math so also not a big deal, but it's still good to have that skill!)
Furthermore the coolest people (and the cutest girl) I met at Michigan I met in my German classes, and my favorite teacher was my German 103/231 GSI.
Also, the admissions people prefer that you have some foreign language in high school. At least two semesters worth.
and they're called girls
I know a kid who was an ex-engineer, took Swedish just for that reason.
However, Spanish majors are about 80% hot chicks. For your consideration.
and I already speak English.
March 16th, 2010 at 12:16 AM ^
good or well?
When I went to U of M (graduated 2002) it seemed like the foreign language that was poorly spoken on North Campus was English.
I would meet with my AE 305 group every Sunday in the fall ('06, but irrelevant). At the start of every session I would be asked, "How was the match?"
Translation: Did we win the football game?
You don't need it, but save the bitching for when you start your engineering courses at Michigan. I promise you, it will give you a lot to bitch about (especially on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights when your LSA friends are actually enjoying the college life).
but I can't emphasize enough how valuable knowing one or more foreign languages is in the professional world.
... I've regretted to this day that I don't speak more languages. Many engineers eventually end up in business, as well, and that skill is invaluable.
Sure... but there's a pretty weak correlation between taking a lower-level foreign language class and knowing a language. It sounds like the OP doesn't care at all about the language, so he isn't going to get much out of a class.
Knowing a foreign language is a great and valuable skill. Taking high school language (even if you take one (French) for three years and another (Latin) for five years) does not often turn into knowing a foreign language.
It's a great way to fill your humanities requirements. I placed into 300-level Latin (3 credits) and got 8 back credits, so by the end of my first term, I had 11 out of 16 humanities filled and my sequence (back when we had a sequence).
One of the Deans of Academic Affairs teaches Latin sometimes. He walked in and introduced himself as the Dean of Academic Affairs, every single senior, who had been looking forward to slacking off, promptly got a sick look on their face.
He used to tell amusing stories. Like the Chemistry Department will give you back your exam for a lot of course. What they don't tell you, is they photocopy / scan them all before giving you the original back. So kids would change their answers, go to their GSI wanting a regrade and end up in front of Academic Affairs for fraud.