When I was doing my Japanese undergrad degree, besides English + Japanese classes you had to take a literature (non-language) class on another East Asian language. That wasn't too bad although I personally did a Chinese literature class and found it not so useful towards my greater learning.
So now I'm looking into the requirements of doing a Ph.D. in Japanese and besides the requirements suggesting the length of study at being six years @_@ It says that to meet the requirements you must "Have demonstrated reading knowledge in another appropriate language." Which sounds to me like you have to be able to read a 3rd language? Or do they just mean read about a 3rd language through english translations? Hmm, I find the wording kinda vague.
Then it says "In addition, students emphasizing classical Japanese will be required to take one year of classical Chinese". Now I was thinking about doing classical because I find classical Japanese really fun but ummmm considering I can't read any Chinese it seems like trying to spend a year learning classical Chinese will be insane. I understand the idea behind this is because much of the classical Japanese style is lifted straight from classical Chinese but they are still 2 very different languages.
Maybe it's just me but if you're going to devote 10 years of your life to learning everything you possibly can about a culture and getting a degree in that language in order to become a professor of it...why do you have to have knowledge of a completely different 3rd language that you will never use and you have no real interest in learning and it's just a huge waste of time and effort for yourself? Arghh...
Although I dunno my chances for even getting into a Ph.D. program. I'm horrible at tests so I fear for the GRE and you need to give samples of written work (videogame reviews?
) and I have nothing written that I can just use for the application.
It's like "well you can go get a job now and start making money for life", or "you can work your ass off to get into the program, then not really making any money for 6 years while working your ass off even more, and then finally if you actually make it out you'll have to hope to get lucky to find a job, and then maybe at this point you'll make a little more money than you would've if you have opted out 6 years ago". It doesn't seem worth it from a common sense level. But I really really like learning about Japanese history, literature, and language and want to continue taking classes (as well as wanting to take a bunch of English writing classes so I can learn to write decently) so it seems like the most fun path but the most stupid path.
Meh, life is too confusing at times. I wish you could just go to a road sign and follow the path that seems fun and everything will work itself out along the way.
So now I'm looking into the requirements of doing a Ph.D. in Japanese and besides the requirements suggesting the length of study at being six years @_@ It says that to meet the requirements you must "Have demonstrated reading knowledge in another appropriate language." Which sounds to me like you have to be able to read a 3rd language? Or do they just mean read about a 3rd language through english translations? Hmm, I find the wording kinda vague.
Then it says "In addition, students emphasizing classical Japanese will be required to take one year of classical Chinese". Now I was thinking about doing classical because I find classical Japanese really fun but ummmm considering I can't read any Chinese it seems like trying to spend a year learning classical Chinese will be insane. I understand the idea behind this is because much of the classical Japanese style is lifted straight from classical Chinese but they are still 2 very different languages.
Maybe it's just me but if you're going to devote 10 years of your life to learning everything you possibly can about a culture and getting a degree in that language in order to become a professor of it...why do you have to have knowledge of a completely different 3rd language that you will never use and you have no real interest in learning and it's just a huge waste of time and effort for yourself? Arghh...
Although I dunno my chances for even getting into a Ph.D. program. I'm horrible at tests so I fear for the GRE and you need to give samples of written work (videogame reviews?
) and I have nothing written that I can just use for the application.It's like "well you can go get a job now and start making money for life", or "you can work your ass off to get into the program, then not really making any money for 6 years while working your ass off even more, and then finally if you actually make it out you'll have to hope to get lucky to find a job, and then maybe at this point you'll make a little more money than you would've if you have opted out 6 years ago". It doesn't seem worth it from a common sense level. But I really really like learning about Japanese history, literature, and language and want to continue taking classes (as well as wanting to take a bunch of English writing classes so I can learn to write decently) so it seems like the most fun path but the most stupid path.
Meh, life is too confusing at times. I wish you could just go to a road sign and follow the path that seems fun and everything will work itself out along the way.
