Starting Japanese VCE 1/2 without prior experience

[DaehanJ]

Hello  :
I am starting Japanese VCE 1/2 this Saturday at one of the few locations where it was available
I have absolutely no experience going into this and was wondering would I actually be able to catch up to everyone,I am willing to put the effort into catching up but still don't know whether its actually possible.
For the past 2 weeks I have been memorising Hiragana and katakana but I know that it isn't enough, also been going through the Genki book.
My parents have advised me not to do it but they respect my decision and is willing to fully support me through this.
Is there anyone that have had previous experience with this or have any advice for me? Much appreciated.
I have already signed up and if this doesn't work out I can always drop it since it is on the weekends, but I am hoping to go through with it all the way to end of year 12.
From (Student in year 11)

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It's possible and I know someone who did it and did relatively decently but they had prior experience immersing themself in the culture and watching anime and stuff. If you're someone who watches Japanese media or is willing to constantly practice then you should be good. I recommend https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/easy/ for reading practice and the Rikaikun chrome extension to read unfamiliar kanji.

[Emerzer]

Hello  :
I am starting Japanese VCE 1/2 this Saturday at one of the few locations where it was available
I have absolutely no experience going into this and was wondering would I actually be able to catch up to everyone,I am willing to put the effort into catching up but still don't know whether its actually possible.
For the past 2 weeks I have been memorising Hiragana and katakana but I know that it isn't enough, also been going through the Genki book.
My parents have advised me not to do it but they respect my decision and is willing to fully support me through this.
Is there anyone that have had previous experience with this or have any advice for me? Much appreciated.
I have already signed up and if this doesn't work out I can always drop it since it is on the weekends, but I am hoping to go through with it all the way to end of year 12.
From (Student in year 11)

Hello Daehan,
        Sorry for the late response but I got a few questions for you.

1.  What VCE study score are you trying to get in Japanese? (Raw 30+?) (Raw 35+?) (Raw 40+?) (Raw 45+?)
2. Do you watch things like Anime (in sub) or Japanese shows?
3. Are you very interested in the subject?
3. How much time are you willing to put into this subject? (too much might affect your other subjects)

At the end of the day, I just feel like if you try really hard, you can probably do it. I am in Year 10 currently and someone who was completely new to Japanese joined our class halfway through year 9, and now is one of the top students of the class. What we are learning this year isn't that hard to catch up on either, but remember, you must work harder than the other students. When they relax, you will have to work hard and when they work hard, you will still have to work hard. (Think of the holidays and stuff as opportunities for you to catch up too. As long as you like the subject, I don't think studying Japanese is that boring)  I suggest using Quizlet or some website/app to make learning vocabulary and stuff way easier. Also, make sure you know the particles and how to use them as they will be very important, and try to learn some kanji too. If you have any problems, you can pm me or reply to this message, but keep in mind that I am a year 10 so I might be wrong about some stuff. Good luck!

[KenW]

It's tough, but it should be doable if you put in the work and are committed. I know people who only studied Japanese for a few years and got a high 40's score. Also, I completed Jap SL at my Saturday school. I know people who had been attending the Saturday school for nearly their entire lives and had gotten a high 20s/low 30s study score, and unlike Chinese, many of the full/half Japanese kids can be beaten if you put in enough work. Good luck for this year