I was very excited when I got to college. I was going to study Japanese and Chinese for four whole years! And I would actually get a degree in it! (I have a minor and a certificate, but still.) The only thing that could make my situation better is if the school paid me to do it.
But they didn’t pay me, so what happened? Well, after paying rent each month and buying food, there wasn’t much left over. My school’s scholarship package wasn’t exactly generous; my parents had saved up money for most of my college experience anyway. So basically all that was left over after paying tuition and other expenses every month was… tuition itself (and books once or twice a year). It’s really not worth it in the long run to take out student loans if you don’t absolutely need them!
So how did I pay for this language study? Well, sadly… by working 40-hour weeks at two jobs during the school year: one at my university’s bookstore selling stuff like candy bars from an ice cream truck outside all day on campus (when no classes were in session) and another as an office assistant in exchange for free use of their photocopier/scanner/fax machine/calculator/printer/copier… wait what? Oh yeah that last one is kind of important since it is also responsible for making copies! Anyway… back on topic here. I am learning language and getting paid at the same time!
Now this doesn’t mean that you need to work two jobs in order to study language. What it does mean is that if you are serious about learning a language, you need to be consistent. A language teacher once said, “If you go out and party every weekend, how will you ever learn?” And I think he had a point there. It’s easy to say things like “I don’t have time” or “I’m too busy right now” or (my personal favorite) “I’ll wait until next semester”. But really… do any of those excuses hold up? No way! Here is what I did:
1) Set a Schedule for Studying Language:
Before each semester begins, sit down with your syllabus and schedule out when all of your tests are going to be and when all of your classes are going on during the week. Then block off chunks of time each day for study sessions where nothing else can get in the way (no phone calls or people knocking at the door). You might find that some days have more than one block of time… but hey if it helps then go for it! You can always take short breaks during these sessions as well; don’t burn yourself out. The important thing is just being consistent in what times/days/weeks etc that you are studying each week.
2) Focus on Studying in Chunks:
I find that it is better to study on a daily basis with short breaks rather than studying for an hour or two every week. The reason why is because the information stays fresh in your mind if you have reviewed it within the last 24 hours instead of having to wait a week before you can really review what you learned. If possible, try to divide up your studies into smaller chunks as well like 10 minutes/4 times/day, 15 minutes/3 times/day etc… but most importantly, be consistent!
3) Never Lose Sight of Your Goal:
Even though I’m busy working and studying here… I don’t forget about my goal. Why? Because my goal is clear and not just sitting in the back of my mind somewhere! I know exactly what it is and how much time remains until I reach it (I’m currently working towards passing both Japanese language tests N1 & N2). Have a clear goal and always keep moving forward towards that goal! If you do that then everything else will fall into place. It doesn’t matter how long or hard it takes as long as you keep going forward.
I really am enjoying language study (and I hope that you are too). It feels great to learn new languages and practice my writing skills. And I now know that I will probably have to save up more money for the next time around… But it’s okay! Because even though there is work involved in learning a language, the rewards are worth it!
Have a super day everyone.
