When I came to Columbia, I knew I would be taking either Chinese or Japanese. For the first week of this semester, I went to both classes to decide which I liked better. I chose Japanese because I found the teaching style to be fun and interactive. I also appreciate the daily quizzes which helps me with retention. In the future, I plan on living in Japan for work, so it is good to learn the language now instead of waiting until I get there. In high school, I took Japanese for three years and I developed an appreciation for their culture and way of life. I am very excited to continue to develop my Japanese speaking, reading and writing skills over the next two years.