I began taking Chinese classes as a first step toward my preparation for a lengthy visit to China in the summer and fall of 2002. The first few weeks seemed to be extremely difficult learning an entirely new pronunciation alphabet and trying to memorize a few characters. After I spent a little time internalizaling these concepts, the class became a little easier and I started to get used to the homework assignments and oral performances. The professor really makes an effort to have you understand how to you use Chinese in a correct manner. We spend a significant amount of class talking about the details of the language, which provides a better understanding of the background of the Chinese language. The atmosphere is great and it seems that most students are in good spirits following the professors example. My first year of Chinese was a great learning experience, and I hope to take more Chinese courses in the future.