Contact and FAQs

UC BERKELEY DEPARTMENT OF CLASSICS GREEK 15
2012 INTENSIVE SUMMER GREEK WORKSHOP

Contact Information and Frequently Asked Questions

C O N T A C T I N F O R M A T I O N
If you cannot find an answer to your question about the Workshop here, please send an email to vlewis@berkeley.edu.

F R E Q U E N T L Y A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S
Q. What are the dates for course, and how do I register?
A. The course is offered from June 4th to August 10th, 2012, and you can find registration information HERE.

Q. I'm still having trouble registering. Can you help?
A. Make sure that you follow the instructions on the enrollment page. Since the registration is handled by a separate office, we can offer only limited help for those who are having problems. Contact with the Summer Sessions page is available HERE.

Q.How much does the Workshop cost?
A.The fees, as determined by Summer Sessions, are $4,060 for UC Undergraduates, $5,100 for UC Graduate Students, and $4,150 for all visiting (non-UC) students.

Q.Will the Workshop enrollment fill up? If I do not enroll now, will I lose my spot?
A. Enrollment tends to become high toward May, and the course has filled up in past years. If you are sure you want to take the course it is a good idea to sign up early.

Q. How much does it cost to live in Berkeley for the summer?
A. The San Francisco Bay area is one of the most pleasant places to live in the U.S., but the cost of housing here is a little higher than many of us would like. If you're willing to share housing, you very likely can get away with paying as low as $600-$700 a month for rent. The UC Berkeley Dorms are available for summer housing, though they are expense and the age range of the people staying there may affect your housing decision. The Berkeley Co-op Houses also offer inexpensive housing and board (in most cases) in exchange for two hours of co-op work per week. You can also check for summer sublets on Craigslist or University-sponsored listings at Calrentals: many students leave for the summer and are eager to let out their apartments.

Q. The amount of Greek I could learn in the Workshop sounds intimidating. Will I be able to manage?
A. The Greek Workshop is an introductory course, not a review course, and it is designed for students with little or no previous experience in Greek. An important part of the low teacher-to-student ratio is that help is always available, and instructors are available every day for office hours to assist you in any points of difficulty. we feel that students learn best in a non-competitive environment of cooperation--classes in previous years have been very collegial, and we encourage students to study together after class. Successful Workshop students have come from a wide variety of fields and backgrounds, from high school students to University professors. While we recommend that students have some previous experience in foreign language learning, we do not require it. The instructors make every effort to address the different experience levels and educational needs of our diverse student body. In fact, many students find the intensive format ideal for learning the grammar and syntax of a new language. With five+ hours of class every day, we have time to drill the material extensively, and students can apply themselves wholly to Greek without the "distraction" of other coursework.

Q. Will I have enough time to work on my dissertation/hold a job while I'm taking the Workshop?
A. No. Students should expect to spend several hours studying and doing homework every day in addition to the five+ hours of classroom instruction. Past students have found it very difficult to take the workshop and pursue other commitments.

Q. What Greek course will I be ready to take after the Workshop?
A. You will be well prepared to take a third- or fourth-semester reading course (such as Greek 100 at Berkeley), but you could probably also succeed in any undergraduate Greek reading course with some motivation on your part. The important thing is to make sure that you follow the Workshop with some reading course, preferably in the fall. Otherwise, your newly-gained knowledge of Ancient Greek will disappear as quickly as you acquired it.

Q. Will I still benefit from the Workshop if I've taken Ancient Greek in the past?
A. If you have read Greek texts in the original within the past few years, it is probably not appropriate for you to take the Workshop. Some students who have a particularly hard time learning languages really do benefit from a second pass at the basics. Others, however, should just dispense with those training wheels, get out there, and read some Greek. If you have recently done all Greek grammar and still choose to repeat it, please be respectful of your colleagues who are seeing this material for the first time.

Q. I am a graduate student in Philosophy (or Comparative Literature, History, Latin, Theology, etc.) and I have a translation requirement in Ancient Greek. Will the Workshop prepare me to pass my exam?
A. Many former Workshop students who have kept up with the Workshop's pace have gone home to pass their fall exams in Plato/New Testament/etc. You'll get the most benefit out of the Workshop, however, if you take an Ancient Greek reading course in the fall.