Blogpost 8: A subject you enjoy studying

Today's topic is a subject you enjoy studying this semester. You should say what the subject is and what it is about. You should say why you enjoy it, and what you've learned. Mention anything else you want to say. 180-word minimum.

Since I'm not a student anymore, I'll have to tell you about a subject I enjoyed when in was a student. I arrived in Poland as an exchange student at the University of Warsaw in 1986, and in the first semester I had to study the Polish Language. It was three hours every day (there were other subjects too). Since I was so extremely motivated--probably freakishly so--I really loved it. I was inundated with grammar: verb forms and conjugations, noun declensions and cases (nominative, genetive, accusative, dative, instrumental, and the locative full of irregularities)...really it was a very grammar-oriented course. Normally, I would say that's not a great way to learn a language, but because I was in the country, I could immediately apply everything I learned in my daily interactions with people. Therefore, it was great. Since it was a country behind the Iron Curtain and in an economic crisis, there were no photocopies, and only a few occasional "carbon copies." That meant, there was a lot of note taking, and copying by hand, and sharing papers...and, actually I don't really remember those details. I just remember enjoying it and being very motivated. There certainly was no glossy textbook. I would even memorize word lists out of the dictionary--random words, and then make an effort to include those words in conversations--which could be strange, but which made me remember them.

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