I took a placement exam that allowed me to go straight to Japanese 4, and I have thoughts. First off, the entire class is in Japanese and you're only expected to speak in Japanese. However, she speaks very slowly and clearly, so it's easy to understand her. You don't get much homework in this class. You have a few pages of the Japanese workbook that you turn in at the end of every chapter. For homework, you're mainly supposed to review the textbook grammar points and vocab in advance, and you should definitely do this because it'll help you immensely during class. Instead of lecture, Nogami sensei goes through the grammar points and asks students questions, and you're supposed to answer her questions using the grammar points and vocab you learned that day. It's a little nerve-wracking because you have to participate during the lecture, and she'll call on you to answer her questions. Nogami sensei is intimidating at first, but she's actually really nice and accommodating. I emailed her because I had to miss class, and she was super understanding. She does not tolerate BS though, and if it's clear that you didn't do the homework or come prepared, she might call you out. The tests in this class are definitely doable and definitely reflect what you learned in class. Nogami is pretty patient and she has funny quips here and there. I actually really enjoy the structure of her class, and it is very effective at learning Japanese. If you have trouble speaking Japanese, taking her class is great because you get a lot of practice.

The person below me is out of his mind! That is all I have to say.