CUNY Latin/Greek Institute info?

[galen697]

I'm considering whether to enroll in CUNY's Latin/Greek summer institute program this year as a jump-start on my masters' work in the next year or two. It's an all-summer long intensive session held in NYC. Has anybody heard of this or participated that could give me advice or share their memories?

[Auberon]

Hey Galen,

I attended for a short time, but had to drop out due to a conflict. Have you studied an inflected language before? I think this and a good memory are the best assets to be armed with when attending. Lots of people couldn't keep up with the barrage of information that one is hit with daily. It's constantly jumping through mental hoops for 3 hours and then another 3 or 4 after lunch. You get called on a lot and there are quizzes.

Most people I knew studied until the wee hours and made late night calls to advisers (who were on 24 hour call when I was there). This is HARDCORE. Don't attempt it unless you're sure you a) have the time to devote to it and b) you are intellectually up to the task. There's no shame if you aren't able to do it — Latin can be acquired in the usual way over a long period of time otherwise.

Think of it as a Navy SEAL boot camp for classical languages. I am not kidding even a little.

The cool thing is people like Rita Fleischer (co-author of Intensive Latin) are there, as is Hardy Hansen.

One guy I knew was taking the Latin with me. He had taken the Greek section a while back, maybe ten years before. Three weeks in during the Greek course he was a basket case — he was failing tests and just lost in the material. Then suddenly a lightbulb went off and it all started to sink in. He survived and got his "gentleman's B," which I understand everyone gets after successfully completing this course.

My experiences are from the summer of 2003, but I can't imagine things have changed so much.

Let me know if you have any follow up questions. Good luck.

[galen697]

Thanks for the information. I've studied Latin since 6th grade, majored in Classics in college and read plenty of Vergil, Lucan, Plautus, Terence and a few other authors and have taught junior high through AP in Dayton OH for the last two years.

[thesaurus]

Thanks for the information. I've studied Latin since 6th grade, majored in Classics in college and read plenty of Vergil, Lucan, Plautus, Terence and a few other authors and have taught junior high through AP in Dayton OH for the last two years.

I assume then you'd be attending for Greek? Because I don't think you'd learn anything new in Latin.

[Auberon]

I assume then you'd be attending for Greek? Because I don't think you'd learn anything new in Latin.

It would be quite a rigorous review if one had any gaps in his or her knowledge. Some people have been known to do it, even after having been Classics majors in undergrad programs.

[thesaurus]

I assume then you'd be attending for Greek? Because I don't think you'd learn anything new in Latin.

It would be quite a rigorous review if one had any gaps in his or her knowledge. Some people have been known to do it, even after having been Classics majors in undergrad programs.

I don't doubt it! But I suppose the real question is whether one is willing to throw down how-ever many grand to get such a review. Personally, I'd love to take the Greek course, but whenever I see the price tag I think it best to keep chugging away at my $30 textbook investment.

[Auberon]

Agreed, Thesaurus…it's very expensive, particularly if you're an out of stater.

The Basic Programs
New York State Residents ..................... $2,040
Non-New York State Residents ................. $4,320

http://web.gc.cuny.edu/provost/lginst/index.htm

[galen697]

I assume then you'd be attending for Greek? Because I don't think you'd learn anything new in Latin.

It would be quite a rigorous review if one had any gaps in his or her knowledge. Some people have been known to do it, even after having been Classics majors in undergrad programs.

That's basically what I'm looking for. After teaching out of CLC and LFA for 2 years, I feel like I could do with a good brushing-up/butt-kicking. There were times when I struggled as an undergrad at IU to untangle Lucan and Tacitus, and I definitely want to be able to hit the ground running whenever I start the grad school program (I'm considering Ohio State and U of Chicago at the moment). Plus for $2500 or so (the cost of the program I'd be doing), that's 8 credit hours that I can transfer in to wherever I decide to go AND I can count that time towards future professional development and licensure hours (ah, the "joys" of being a public school teacher...).

[Auberon]

Galen, good luck to you, but I don't think you really need it with your impressive accomplishments so far.