Why I Am Studying Japanese

I've wanted to study Japanese for a long time and I am so excited to finally start learning at Columbia! In high school, I gained an appreciation for the beauty of Japanese language and culture and the differences between it and my own; I think it is very important to study cultures and languages different than the ones we have grown up in, and since Japanese is so different for me, I thought it would be perfect. I am also very interested in linguistics in general, so I want to learn about how the Japanese language was created and how it works today. Additionally, I want to study abroad in Japan, so I need to actually learn the language first. Finally, I read and watch some Japanese media and I would like to be able to do so without the use of translations or subtitles. So far, I have absolutely loved learning Japanese, although I am finding it very difficult. The class is moving much faster than any language course I have ever taken but that makes me even more excited about how much I will know by the end of the semester and beyond :)