For those students who struggle with foreign language, you have an alternative.

Graduation requirements have been adjusted, allowing students to take another credit of applied or fine arts, as well as a business course or any class at the Genesee Career Institute, in place of a second foreign language credit.

This means that instead of taking two credits of foreign language and one credit of fine or applied arts, a student could take one credit of foreign language and two credits of fine or applied arts, for example.

Junior Matt Slezsak thinks the program’s use depends on what students plan to do later in life.

“It’s like arguing Ford vs. Chevy,” Slezsak said. “If you plan on moving (to another country), foreign language is good. If you plan on living in America, you’ll probably use English more than a foreign language.”

However, taking only one year of foreign language may be a disadvantage for students who plan on attending a four-year university.

Typically, colleges recommend students take two to three years of the same foreign language.

Ms. Lindsay Pittenger, Spanish teacher, thinks students should take more than one year for this reason.

“I encourage students to take two years (of foreign language) because colleges like to see two years,” Pittenger said.

Taking two years of foreign language can also help you later in your life.

According to Ms. Deane Alban of bebrainfit.com, who has a bachelor’s degree in biology, research shows that people who are bilingual tend to be more intelligent, have better focus, and be more creative.

Learning a second language can also lower the risk of having Alzheimer’s disease or dementia later in life, according to alzheimers.net.

Freshman Grant Sterling thinks learning a second language is a good idea because of this.

“You have to exercise your brain,” Sterling said. “Learning a second language will do that.”

Some students who struggle with their first year of foreign language claim that the program is helpful if you want to keep your GPA relatively high.

Freshman Jared Haack thinks if he didn’t take a second year of foreign language, he would have a higher GPA.

“I would have a better GPA, but my Spanish grade brought it down,” Haack said. “I worked and studied, but I still couldn’t raise my grade in Spanish.”

Taking one year of foreign language and two years of arts may be better for some students, but others may be better off taking two years of a language.

Whatever students choose, this program is likely to be an asset to some students.