Great Expectation
Since the age of six, I have wanted to be fluent in foreign languages. In the shower, where most people sing, I would make up words and pretend to hold conversations in languages other than English. My make believe German and Russian languages were the most fun to speak because I thought it involved a lot of hissing and hacking. In middle school, I tried to fill my entire schedule with language courses. Unfortunately, that was not allowed. I chose German and despite the lack of a funny noise property that I thought it would have, I stuck with it. After my first semester of German in college, I was at work in a coffee shop close to the company Bayer. A man, who spoke only broken English, came in to order coffee. I was able to help him choose and pay for his coffee entirely in German. I was so proud of my skill and knowledge. I couldn’t wait to learn more. The best way to learn a language is to immerse oneself in it completely. Not only will I be able to better learn the language but also of the culture and the German people.
Studying in Cologne will certainly assist me in achieving my personal goals, but also it will facilitate in my pursuit of a major in International Studies. The classes I am taking while attending school in Cologne are not taught at Allegheny and they are of particular interest to me. The courses on the political system of Germany and German History fit very well into the Western European social science requirements and the classes in German as well hearing the language spoken everyday German lend a hand to the proficiency in a language requirement. It is also strongly urged that International Studies students undertake one semester aboard. Going to Cologne will easily allow me to minor or even possibly major in German as well as become more familiar with the country and its people. The interactive, hands-on experience of studying in Germany would not hinder my graduation requirements in anyway. It can only enhance them.
I am very shy when it comes to speaking German. Being quite the perfectionist, I would rather sit in silence than say a sentence until I am sure it is grammatically correct. Forcing me outside of my comfort zone and into a world where I have to speak German in everyday life, is helping me to overcome my fears and have a better understanding for the structure of the German language. The classes taken in Germany easily fall into place with the perimeters of my intended major of International Studies and help me to achieve my personal goals, minus the hissing and hacking.