JAPN 1010

JAPN 1010 was a good introduction to the Japanese language and culture. I came into the class with no knowledge of the Japanese language, and I was so pleased at how much I was able to achieve in one semester. However, I had to put in many hours a week completing worksheets and studying for vocabulary/kanji quizzes. This class is definitely one where your grade reflects the effort you put in. Basically, if you want the A, you have to come to class every day, and come prepared (homework completed and eager to engage in conversation practice).

I have mixed feelings about Kawai-sensei. She is a good Japanese teacher, and her English is better than the other senseis which makes her lectures easier to understand. She is also enthusiastic about getting students more engaged in Japanese culture, and always advertises events or programming relating to Japan to students (and offers +1% extra credit to your final course grade if you attend at least 3 different events). However, she is also intimidating and (imo) grades on how much she likes you or how hard she thinks you work. My best advice is just to do your work and stay on her good side so she won't zone in on you and give you a hard time (and trust me, you'll know if you're on her bad side, she will make it very clear in her interactions with you).

A lot of students signed up for my class b/c they watched anime or whatever before, and thought this class would be a piece of cake. However, the workload of the first two weeks is huge, and a lot of people who weren't serious about the language dropped. However, if you get past the learning curve, you will do great in the class!

Kawai Sensei is the BEST! Japanese 1010 is the hardest and most fast-paced 1010 language course I've taken at UVa, but it's definitely worth the blood, sweat and tears. I would say that one of the down-sides of the class is the group work. There are group projects about every other week starting halfway through the semester, which can be time-consuming and inconvenient for coordinating schedules with everyone (like all group projects -_-).

BUT Sensei is the best part of this class! She is the cutest professor I've ever had, and is such an amazing teacher! She loves her students so much, and she is always willing to help you at office hours. She is always energetic in class and her laugh is probably her best feature :) She can definitely be strict at times, but as long as you work hard and put in the effort, you can get a good grade.

TAKE THIS CLASS!!!