Many students could tell you that, as a subbie, Uni students may take either French, German, Japanese, or Latin. That’s great: for the students who get their first choice of language. But what about those students who don’t get their first, second, or even third choices? And what about those students who want to take another language, such as Spanish, but their grade restricts it?

Coming to Uni, I knew exactly which language I wanted to take: Spanish. However, I soon learned that Uni students cannot take Spanish until they are sophomores . This was disappointing, but I had always wanted to learn French as well. I thought I’d just take French through freshman year and then switch to Spanish after that. Unfortunately, this plan did not work out for me at all. I ended up in Latin I subbie year and did not get into Spanish sophomore year.

Language is essential in today’s society. It can be a decisive factor in influencing paths students take in their careers. I believe a program that would better suit students is one that offered more options for all grade levels.

While I understand Uni cannot offer too many classes because of its small size, I still wish there were more classes of the subjects students want to take. Although I ended up really enjoying Latin, and continue to take it through a third year, I sympathize with those students who are placed in a language they do not want subbie year.

Uni’s policy does not allow students to drop language or switch to another language until they have completed two years of their first. This alone may seem too long to some students. However, many students want to take four years of one language for college reasons. Taking a language you do not enjoy for four years may really hurt students vigor for learning additional languages.

I greatly appreciate all of the opportunities Uni offers every student. However, I do wish it was able to offer multiple classes for popular subjects, as well as a wider variety. Thankfully, the language I ended up in turned out to fit me very well, but I know there are students out there who couldn’t say the same.