If you truly want to learn Chinese this class will be easy for you. Yes, it's a lot of work but it pays off. I had ZERO background in Chinese before this class and by the end of the semester I learned so much.

You have seven chapters and two lessons for each chapter (ex: 1.1 and 1.2). Each lesson has a vocab quiz and assigned homework. At the end of every two chapters is a chapter exam. Each chapter also has Situational Responses in which you use the grammar and vocab learned to create sentences. There are also oral exams and group skits.

Professor Xu is a great Chinese professor and genuinely wants her students to love learning Chinese.

Make sure to study the vocab and review all grammar, even if it wasn't on the vocab test or homework. I also used to go back and do sections of homework that weren't assigned to prepare for chapter exams.

Just okay. If you want a good grade you will study quite a bit. Textbook and workbooks necessary, but you can rent the textbook (we use in it class and I don't think she'd be okay with a computer copy).

If you want to learn Chinese then you'll like it. If you just need a language credit take an easier class/language.

Unclear in her advice and teaching, gives lots of mixed signals/messages. Has a very messy canvas page (but I don't think that's her fault, I think she didn't choose it and she is trying to fix it, albeit slowly). Many assignments aren't up, don't have due dates, are part of unpublished modules, etc.

Lots of homework. Lots of listening and speaking. She will use many words you don't know and expect you to pick it up from context.

Not Ai Laoshi. I don't know about Xu Laoshi but people seem to like her better.